Psychology - Cognitive Approach

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Cognitive approach

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Concerned with internal mental processes in explaining behaviour. Internal mental processes are of prime importance in understanding behaviour.

Hint 1

Internal mental processes

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Computer analogy

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Comparing the human mind to a computer.

Take info in (input) - change/store it (process) - recall when necessary (output)

Mind compared with hard ware of computer and cognitive processes with a computer's software.

Hint 2

Input process output...hardware and software

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During process stage

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We actively use the cognitive processes of perception, attention, memory, language and thinking.

Hint 3

Cognitive processes

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MSM - multistore model

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Atkinson and Shiffrin 1968

Proposed that info is input to brain through senses (eyes,ears) and moves to short-term memory (STM) and then to long term memory (LTM) it is output when required.

SM = sensory memory

STM = short-term memory

LTM = long-term memory

Hint 4

STM AND LTM AND SM

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MSM

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Hint 5

Diagram

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Primary and recency affect

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The primary and recency affect supports the MSM

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Diagram supports MSM

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Internal mental processes

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Processes all work together to enable us to make sense of and respond to the world around us.

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Cognitive processes

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Perception, attention, memory, language and thinking

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How do we recognise a pen?

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We have to pay attention to it, perceive its features and search through our memory store to see if it's a 'match' with something we have already seen/experienced.

We use our knowledge of language to name it.

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Information processing

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Our mental processes work together within a split second to allow us to respond to the world around us

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Measuring internal processes

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Cognitive psychologists have to infer what is going on inside your head using processes like introspection

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Introspection

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Technique developed by Wilhelm Wundt. He attempted to investigate thinking in a systematic and scientific way.

Highly trained research assistants would be given a stimulus and reported what that stimulus made them think and feel.

Validity of introspection questioned but still used today.

Hint 12

Wilhelm Wundt

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Using introspection to investigate gambling

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Griffiths 1994 - investigated the thought process of regular gamblers vs. non-regular gamblers.

Proposing that the thoughts of regular gamblers would be more irrational. participants were asked to 'think aloud' while playing a fruit machine.

Instructions: do not censor, talk continuously, do not try to justify your thoughts.

Hint 13

Gambling, fruit machines, instructions

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Using gambling to investigate introspection

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Study found that regular gamblers used more irrational/illogical verbalisations.

Eg. This machine like me

Hint 14

Study shows....

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Cognitive bias

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Context and framing of information influence individuals judgement and decision making.

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Cognitive distortion

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Exaggerated or irrational thought pattern

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Schemas

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Organised packets of information that are built up through experiences and stored in our long-term memory

Provides short cuts to identifying thi gs that we come across.

Example = dog schema may contain 4 legs, furry, bark, tail.

Hint 17

Dog schema example

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Schemas info

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Schemas are derived from past experiences but can be refined through further interactions.

Do not necessarily represent reality as they are often built up via social exchanges rather than personal interactions.

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Forms of schema

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Can take different forms

Event schemas which are known as scripts (going to a restaurant)

Role schemas which tell us about different roles (nurse)

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Burglar schema example

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Most people have probably never witnessed a burglary, yet there burglar schema would probably be Male, fairly young and possibly wearing a balaclava.

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Stereotypes and misremembered events

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Schematas can be the basis for stereotypes, causing racism/sexism.

Can cause us to remember events that do not fit our schema.

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Alport and postman 1947

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Showed white participants a picture of a black man being held at knifepoint by a white person. When asked to recall the event however, they misremembered the black man as the mugger.

(Misremembered the event because it does not fit into their schema)

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Schema stages

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Stage 1 = assimilation (child builds theory)

Stage 2 = equilibrium (everything seems to fit this theory)

Stage 3 = disequilibrium (something happens to cast doubt on this theory)

Stage 4 = accommodation (new information is added/accommodated into schema)

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Cognitive explanation for romantic relationship formation - schema

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The halo effect and matching hypothesis

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The halo effect Dion 1972

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Demonstrated that people believe that physically attractive people also have personal attractive qualities like kind and caring and we may become interested in forming a relationship with them.

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Self schemas

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Refer to how we feel about ourselves and how we govern our self-concept, particularly important in matching hypothesis.

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Matching hypothesis

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How we perceive ourselves in terms of physical attractiveness will influence who we want to engage in relationships with.

We are attracted to those who we feel 'match'us in terms of physical attractiveness.

If our perception of attractiveness is low, we will not go for those we perceive to be attractive for fear of rejection.

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Romantic relationship for cognitive approach - internal mental processes (perception)

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Perception - self perception and the perception of others.

The way we believe other to be will determine whether we desire to enter into a relationship with them.

Your perceptions, based on first impressions of them will influence whether you want to be in their company again.

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Romantic relationship formation for cognitive approach - memory

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If we have positive memories of past relationships, we may be driven to forming new relationships.

If our memories are negative and we remember being hurt, we may be very reluctant to form new relationships, even with people we like.

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Romantic relationship formation for the cognitive approach internal mental processes MAIN THEORY = SOCAIL ECHANGE THEORY

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Thibaut and Kelley 1959

Choices about relationships are economic decisions.

We consider the possible present and future benefits and costs.

More attracted to those who offer us more benefits than costs.

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SOCAIL EXCHANGE THEORY

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also depends on what people expect to get out of a relationship in terms of costs and benefits - the comparison level.

Some have high expectations for a relationship, if the reality does not meet the expectations, they may become unhappy and dissatisfied with it. This is also influenced by your beliefs about whether ther is an alternative relationship available, which will satisfy these expectations, this is known as comparison level for alternatives.

Someone with a low comparison for alternatives will stay in unsatisfactory relationship (believe it's better than any alternative)