Specification: The study of internal mental processes, the role of schema, the use of theoretical and computer models to explain and make inferences about mental processes.

Assumptions

• Cognitive psychologists are concerned with cognitive functions like memory, perception and attention

• Internal mental processes can be, and should be, studied scientifically

• The human mind is similar to a computer as there are similarities in the way information is processed

• Cognitive processes can be studied indirectly by making inferences from a person’s behaviour

The cognitive approach

The cognitive approach focuses on the examination of internal mental processes such as perception, memory, attention and consciousness. Since these processes are internal and cannot be studied directly, their operation must be inferred from the observation and measurement of visible human behaviour.

To assist this inference, cognitive psychologists make use of theoretical models and computer models. Theoretical models enable the visual representation of complex conceptual processes, and computer models provide a basis for research within the field of cognitive psychology.

The study of internal mental processes

Internal mental processes are the operations that occur during thinking. Examples include how we turn the information from our eyes into a usable form (perception); how we choose what to think about (attention); how we store information to use in the future (memory); how we construct meaningful sentences to communicate with others (language); and how we construct new solutions (problem-solving). Cognitive psychologists appreciate that these concepts cannot be directly observed and use inferences as a means of understanding human experience from observable behaviours.

The role of the schema

Schema theory is an information-processing model that emphasises how perception and memory are shaped by cognitive frameworks. Schemas are mental frameworks of information that we use to organise past experiences and to interpret and respond to new situations. For example, a classroom schema might consist of a whiteboard, tables, chairs, books, pens and a teacher. As we age, our schemas become increasingly sophisticated, and adults develop more and more schemas to cover most situations.

Schemas are an example of top-down information-processing, because they provide us with expectations about what will happen in the world, rather than requiring us to process every single detail, all of the time. Schemas allow us to make sense of ambiguous situations by “filling in the gaps” in our knowledge. They enable us to act comfortably even when our information is incomplete which makes it much easier to deal with complex situations. However, schemas can lead to errors in information-processing such as prejudice and discrimination.

The use of computer models

The development of the computer in the 1960s led to computer models emerging within psychology to explain different mental processes. For example, the analogy of long-term memory being the hard disk and short-term (working memory) being viewed as the computer’s RAM (Random Access Memory) has been applied to the human brain. Computer models of memory have been particularly useful in the development of artificial intelligence (AI).

Issues and debates

The cognitive approach pays respect to both the nature and nurture element of this debate. It recognises that behaviour is the result of information processing which occurs in the brain and is of biological origin (nature), while concepts such as schema are modified by experience in the environment (nurture).

Furthermore, the cognitive approach straddles both the nomothetic and idiographic approaches in psychology since it utilises both experimental methods to generate universal laws to explain behaviour and draws on the findings of individual case studies, such as Phineas Gage and Clive Wearing.

Possible exam questions

1. Explain what is meant by ‘inference’. (1 mark)

2. Outline one issues with studying internal mental processes. (2 marks)

3. Explain one strength and one limitation of the cognitive approach. (4 marks)

4. Identify two main assumptions of the cognitive approach in psychology. For each assumption, justify your response with reference to a topic in psychology. (4 marks)

5. Outline two features of the cognitive approach. Explain two limitations of the cognitive approach. (8 marks)

6. Discuss the cognitive approach in psychology. (16 marks)

7. Outline the cognitive approach. Evaluate the research methods used by cognitive psychologists in this field of investigation. (16 marks)

8. Outline key assumptions of the cognitive approach. Compare the cognitive approach in psychology with the psychodynamic approach. (16 marks)