A* AQA A Level Psychology Cognitive Approach Essay
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Course
Approaches
Institution
AQA
A* AQA A Level Psychology Cognitive Approach Essay
Achieved A*
Sample essay - high quality and specific terminology used throughout
Approaches is the KEY topic to success
Outline and evaluate the cognitive approach (16 marks)
The cognitive approach emerged after the behaviourist approach and focuses on internal mental
processes. In direct contrast to the behaviourist approach, the cognitive approach argues that
internal mental processes should be studied scientifically. The cogntive processes focused include
memory, attention and perception which were areas of human behaviour neglected by the
behaviourists. Lab studies mean these processes can be studied scientifically, however due to
cogntive processes being internal and “private”, they cannot be visibly and directly observed,
meaning psychologists can only study them indirectly through inferences. The reliance on inferences
is an assumption of the cogntive approach. Inferences gather conclusions about an idea through
observing behaviours, without doing an experiment.
The second assumption of the cognitive approach is schema. Schemas are “packages” of ideas or
beliefs that we develop based on our experiences and help us to understand an otherwise complex
world. They act as a a mental framework for the interpretation of incoming information received by
the cognitive system. Schemas are unique to each individual and their own experiences are
subjective to ourselves. Schemas are useful as they enable us to process lots of information quickly
and provide mental short cuts that prevent us being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli.
However, this may be a limitation as the gaps filled in may not be completely accurate. Babies are
born with simple motor schema for innate behaviours such as grasping.
The cognitive approach also uses theoretical and computer models to help them understand internal
processes. One important theoretical model is the information processing approach, which suggests
that information flows through the cognitive system in a sequence of stages. These stages include
the input, storage and retrieval as in the multi store model. The cognitive approach also says the
mind is similar to a computer model in the way information is processed. Such computational
models of the mind have proved useful in the development of “thinking machines” or artificial
intelligence.
+WMM
Cognitive neuroscience is the scientific study of the influence of the brain's structures, using eg
FMRIs on mental processes. Mapping brain areas to specific cogntive functions has a long history in
psychology. As early as the 1860s Broca had identified how damaged to an area of the frontal lobe,
which came to be known as Broca’s area, could permanently impair speech production. It is only
within the last 25 years, with advances in brain imaging techniques such as fMRIs and PET scans, that
scientists have been able to systematically observe and desire the neurological basis of mental
processes. For example, in research involving tasks that required the use of semantic and episodic
memory, Buckner and Petersen were able to show how these different types of long-term memory
may be located on the opposite sides of the prefrontal cortex. Scanning techniques have also proved
useful in establishing the neurological basis of some mental disorders such as the link between the
parahippocampal gyrus and OCD. The focus on cogntive neuroscience has expanded recently to
include the use of computer-generated model that are designed to “read” the brain. This has led to
the development of mind-mapping techniques known as “brain fingerprinting”. One possible future
application could be to amylase the brain wave patterns of eyewitnesses to determine whether they
are lying in court.
One strength of the cognitive approach is that it uses objective, scientific methods. Cognitive
psychologists employ highly controlled and rigorous methods of study, so researchers are able to
infer cognitive processes at work. This has involved the use of lab studies to produce reliable,
objective data. The emergence of cognitive neuroscience has enabled the two fields of biology and
cognitive psychology to come together to enhance the scientific basis of study. Furthermore, the
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