Model Essay.docx

Example Question 1: 1. Read the item and then answer the question that follows. In a laboratory study of problem-solving, cognitive psychologists asked participants to solve problems presented in different colours of ink. They found that it took longer to solve problems presented in green ink, than it did to solve problems presented in other colours. They inferred that the mental processing of problems is made more difficult when a problem is presented in green ink. Explain what is meant by ‘inference’ in relation to this study. [2 marks] Answer: As we cannot directly observe cognitive processes we have to infer them from behaviour. An inference is an assumption made to explain cognitive or mental processes. As participants took longer to solve problems when presented in green ink, we can infer that green ink makes the task more difficult. Example Question 2: Discuss the cognitive approach (12 marks) Discuss = outline (AO1 – 6 marks) and evaluate (AO3 – 6 marks) Outline: In direct contrast to the behaviourist approach, the cognitive approach argues that internal mental processes can, and should, be studied scientifically. As a result, the cognitive approach has investigated those areas of human behaviour that were neglected by behaviourists such as memory, perception and thinking. These processes are ‘private’ and cannot be observed so cognitive psychologists study them indirectly by making inferences about what is going on inside people’s minds on the basis of their behaviour. Cognitive psychologists think the mind works like a computer in that it has an input from our senses which it then processes and produces an output such as language or specific behaviours. Cognitive psychologists endeavor to work out what thought processes are occurring from the behaviour an experiment produces. Cognitive psychologists follow the example of the behaviourists in preferring objective, controlled, scientific methods for investigating behaviour. They use the results of their investigations as the basis for making inferences about mental processes. One strand of cognitive research involves conducting case studies of people with brain damage. Comparing their performance on mental tasks with that of uninjured people can help psychologists understand which parts of the brain are used to process which sorts of information. They apply the scientific method and have worked out some clever ways in which to examine thought. One way they do this is by making inferences (assumptions) about thought processes. Another important aspect of the cognitive approach is the key role schema play. Schema are ‘packages’ of ideas and information developed through experience. They act as a mental framework for the interpretation of incoming information received by the cognitive system. Cognitive processing can often by affected by a person’s beliefs or expectations, often referred to as schema. Schema are learned through experience and help us to respond to an object appropriately. Schema enable us to process lots of information quickly and this is useful as a sort of mental short-cut that prevents us from being overwhelmed by environmental stimuli.

Another key important assumption of the cognitive approach is that it uses computer models, where the mind is compared to a computer by suggesting that there are similarities in the way information is processed. These models use the concepts of a central processing unit (the brain), the concept of coding (to turn information into a useable format) and the use of ‘stores’ to hold information. The way a computer works is by a series of processing steps, and cognitive psychologists see no reason why behaviours should not be explained the same way. For example, it is proposed we input information through the senses which is then encoded and processed by our brain using schema to help us speed up this process. The output is then specific behaviour. Evaluation: One strength of the cognitive approach it has always employed highly controlled and rigorous methods of study in order to enable researchers to infer cognitive processes at work. This has involved the use of lab experiments to produce reliable, objective data. Therefore this strongly supports the approach as it increases the validity of its findings. However, due to the artificial and controlled environment of laboratory settings, the results could be argued to be less like real-life and may also suffer from demand characteristics as participants are doing mundane tasks such as memory tests which bear little resemblance to real life and mean they are more likely to figure out the true aim of the study. Therefore this brings into debate whether the cognitive approach produces valid findings in its method of collecting data. Despite this criticism, an additional strength of the cognitive approach is that is has many real-world applications. For example it has led to a particularly effective treatment – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which is used successfully to treat a range of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and OCD. The basis of CBT is to change the way the persons processes their thoughts to make them more rational or positive. Therefore, this supports the cognitive approach due to the fact that a very effective treatment exists which is based on its exact principles. However, although there are similarities between the human mind and the operations of a computer (inputs and outputs, storage systems, the use of a central processor) the computer analogy has been criticised by many. Such machine reductionism (simplicity) ignores the influence of human emotion and motivation on the cognitive system and how this may affect our ability to process information. In addition to this, the validity of using inference as a method of investigation is also questionable. Cognitive psychologists have no physical proof of thought processes and simply have to assume therefore this limits the accuracy of the cognitive approach.