Cognitive Area

Question 1

Strengths in this area of psychology..

Answer 1

• This approach has tended to use a scientific approach through the use of laboratory experiments. A strength of using laboratory experiments is that they are high in control therefore researchers are able to establish cause and effect.

Question 2

Weaknesses in this area of psychology..

2

Answer 2

• This approach relates to the validity of measuring cognitive processes. We can only infer what a person is thinking and therefore the cognitive approach relies heavily on self report measures and observation.
• Reliance on the computer analogy leads to a reductionist and mechanistic description of experiences and behaviour. Reductionism is the idea that complex phenomena can be explained by simpler things. The cognitive approach often takes this narrow focus and ignores social and emotional factors which may impact on cognition.

Question 3

What is the aim behind this area of psychology?

Answer 3

Cognitive psychology studies our mental processes or cognitions. These mental processes that cognitive psychologists focus on include memory, perception, thinking and language.

Question 4

what is the main assumption of the cognitive approach?

Answer 4

The main assumption of the cognitive approach is that information received from our senses is processed by the brain and that this processing directs how we behave or at least justifies how we behave the way that we do

Question 5

What is the brain seen as in this area?

Answer 5

Based on this computer analogy, cognitive psychology suggests how the brain is like a computer and that they are interested in how the brain inputs, stores and outputs information