Cognitive Approach

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  • Created by: Emily
  • Created on: 12-12-12 20:28

Assumptions of the Cognitive Approach

The first assumption of the cognitive approach (CA) is that behaviour is shaped by internal processes of the mind. The CA assumes that inside the mind we manipulate information based on our schemas (packets of information that help use make sense of, and respond to, the world around us.) For example, in Bartlett's 'War of the Ghosts' study participants normalised and rationalised their stories to fit in with their existing schema (reconstructive memory).

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Second Assumption of CA

The second assumption of the CA is that the brain is like a computer.                                   Input>>>>>>> Process>>>>>>>>Output

We take in information from the environment and then process it to make sense of the world. Like a computer the brain can multi-task and use mental processes such as attention, perception, memory, language and thinking, all at the same time. For example, when carrying out the stroop test the input is both in colours and words. The brain then is using perception (of the list), memory (what colours look like), and language to process the information and to output the correct answer.

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