Understanding the Cognitive Approach

The cognitive approach investigates the internal mental processes that drive our thinking and behaviour. Cognitive psychologists use theoretical models (diagrams showing mental process steps) and computer models (simulations of mental processes) to study these invisible mental mechanisms scientifically.

A key concept is the information processing approach, which explains how information flows through our cognitive system in stages, similar to how computers process data. This comparison between brain and computer structures forms the basis of many cognitive theories, though this parallel has its critics.

Schemas are mental shortcuts that help us quickly process information without becoming overwhelmed. These frameworks allow us to predict events based on past experiences and interpret new information efficiently. Every person has unique schemas shaped by their individual experiences and cultural background. Babies start with simple motor schemas that grow more complex with age.

Did you know? Bartlett's famous 'War of the Ghosts' experiment showed that people don't remember stories exactly as told but adapt them to fit their existing cultural schemas. When British students retold an unfamiliar Native American folk tale, they changed or omitted culturally unfamiliar elements like spirits and canoes.

Cognitive neuroscience investigates how cognition results from neural mechanisms, brain chemistry and structure. Modern technologies like fMRI and PET scans allow scientists to observe the neurological basis of thinking processes. Research has revealed specific brain regions associated with different memory functions, such as Tulving's discovery that different types of long-term memory may be located on opposite sides of the prefrontal cortex.

While cognitive neuroscience offers real-world applications and uses objective methods, critics point to potential reliability issues with brain scanning technology and argue that comparing humans to computers represents machine reductionism that oversimplifies our complex, unpredictable nature.