Cognitive area

Question 1

What are the 3 defining principles of the cognitive area?

Answer 1

1. Behaviour is caused by internal mental processes such as memory, attention, perception, thinking, and language.
2. We can understand the mind as an information processor similar to a computer: behaviour is a result of input, processing and output.
3. Cognitive psychology supports the psychology as a science debate.

Question 2

What is the cognitive area based on?

Answer 2

The cognitive area focuses on how thinking shapes our behaviour.
Cognitive psychologists look at the internal mental processes of the mind.

Question 3

Explain the defining principle 1: internal mental processes?

(perception, attention, memory, language, thinking)

Answer 3

Perception: ability to become aware of something through the senses.

Attention: the awareness of surroundings.

Memory: the faculty where the mind stores and remembers information.

Language: How humans communicate.

Thinking: Process of considering or reasoning about something.

Question 4

What are schema’s?

Answer 4

A mental framework that helps individuals organize, process, and store information about their environment.

Question 5

Explain defining principle 2: the computer analogy?

Answer 5

Hardware would be the brain and the software would be the cognitive processes.

Input= how were intake info
process= how we store/change it
output= recall when necerssary

Question 6

What would things would be inputs?

What are outputs?

Answer 6

• information we see through our 5 senses.
• our behaviour / actions

Question 7

Why are humans not like a computer?

Answer 7

• we can understand and have emotions unlike computers.

Question 8

Explain the defining principle 2: psychology as a science, behaviour should be studied scientifically.

Answer 8

cognitive psychologists have a very scientific approach towards studying behaviour.
They are concerned with the inner workings of the mind, so scientific and controlled experiments allow psychologists to infer what is happening.

Question 9

3 Strengths of the cognitive area?

Answer 9

1. Good scientific status (most research is experimental, carried out in labs with tights controls over extraneous variables).
2. Opening up the ‘black box’ has extended our understanding of people (Without the cognitive area, how we think, attend, remember, and make sense of the world would be very difficult).
3. Cognitive psychology has opened up a range of practical applications such as therapies to change how people think (CBT).

Question 10

Weaknesses of the cognitive area?

Answer 10

1. The computer analogy breaks down (Unlike a computer, we are emotional, intuitive, and influenced by instinct).
2. Cognitive reductionism (Ignores other influences such as unconscious factors, and social context (where learning takes place)).
3. Lacks validity.
   - Cognitive functioning cannot be directly observed.
   - Tends to use highly controlled laboratory experiments which may lack ecological validity

Question 11

3 applications of the cognitive area?

Answer 11

1. Eye witness testimony.
2. Cognitive behavioural therapy (uses the fact that thought patterns can affect behaviour and tries to help people with mental health problems).
3. Cognitive interview (way of asking questions that help an eyewitness remember better).

Question 12

2 Core studies linked to the cognitive area?

Answer 12

1. Loftus & Palmer - how accurate/inaccurate memory was.
2. Grant - context dependent memory.
3. Moray
4. Simon & Chabris

Question 13

How does Loftus + Palmer link to the Cognitive area?

Answer 13

Memory recall is formed using info from the initial event the memory was created in as well as post-event info.

Question 14

How does Grant link to the Cognitive area?

Answer 14

Memory recall is improved where the recall environment is the same as the environment the memory was formed in.

Question 15

How does Moray link to the Cognitive area?

Answer 15

Attention is selective as participants were unable to recall info they weren’t focused on. Suggests the most important info around us is not processed unless deemed relevant.

Question 16

How does Simon + Chabris link to the Cognitive area?

Answer 16

People do not process all info or pay attention to it.

Question 17

1 similarity between Loftus + Palmer and Grant?

Answer 17

Scientific equipment
Loftus + Palmer = videos
Grant = headphone/tapes

Question 18

1 difference between Loftus + Palmer and grant?

Answer 18

Ethics
Loftus + Palmer = psych harm (car crash)
Grant = No

Question 19

1 similarity between Moray and simon + chabris?

Answer 19

Both used Lab experiments.

Question 20

1 difference between moray and simon + chabris?

Answer 20

sampling method
moray = opportunity
simon + chabris = self-selective volunteer