The Cognitive Perspective

Introduction
Cognitive psychology is concerned with how people acquire, store, transform, use and communicate information. Cognitive psychologists rejected the behaviourist assumption that mental events or states were unsuitable for scientific research.
In this unit you will examine the model-based approach often employed by the cognitive perspective. Issues of ecological and construct validity will be explored with regard to the methods employed by the perspective. Memory is the topic which we will study in depth.

Objectives

• Describe and evaluate the cultural context and development, the conceptual framework, the methodology, and the application of the cognitive perxpective.
  
• Describe and evaluate theories and empirical studies within this perspective.
  
• Explain how cultural, ethical, gender, and methodological considerations affect the interpretation of behaviour from a cognitive perspective.
  
• Compare theories, empirical studies and the conceptual framework of this model with the other perspectives.
  
• Identify and explain the strengths and limitations of cognitive explanations of behaviour.
  
• Explain the extent to which free will and determinism are integral in this perspective.
  
• Assess the extent to which concepts and models of information processing have helped the understanding of cognition.
  
• Assess claims that this perspective lacks ecological validity, and be able to consider alternative research methods.

Basic Assumptions

• Reductionist
• Mental processes can be studied scientifically.
• Deterministic (behaviour is assumed to be caused by the way in which in which it has been categorised, stored and retrieved)
• Mediational processes are at least as important as environmental stimuli in the understanding of behaviour.
• Developed in part as a reaction against the learnng theory (particularly behaviourism).
• Cognitive processes actively organize and manipulate information that we receive - humans are not passive responders to their environment. Soft determinism.
• Models of psychological functions can be proposed.

Read this article on the assumptions and basics of cognitive psychology

Read Glassman pages 150-154

See overview of the cognitive approach (Hill, page 18)

See this handout for a brief overview of the basics of the information processing model.

Historical Development and Cultural Context

• Challenges to behaviourism (such as cognitive maps)
• The use of the computer model
• Impact of the Second World War (such as the need to understand or predict cognitive processes)
• The development of brain scan technology

Read this handout on the historical and cultural conditions that gave rise to the cognitive approach. Also see this link for notes on historical and cultural conditions.

See this handout for how the cognitive perspective contributes to the scientific study of behaviour.

Question:

Explain how one historical and cultural condition helped give rise to the cognitive perspective (8). (IB Paper 1)

Key Concepts (see this handout)

Memory (Glassman pages 155-174)

Using the information in Myers chapter 9, the revision pages from the Hill guide and blog links you are to prepare a presentation on the following:

1) Sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory: Describe each store (in terms of capacity, duration and encoding) and give details of any relevant studies. For the long-term memory remember to include full detail (i.e. procedural, declarative etc).

2) The multistore model of memory (describe, evidence, evaluation)

3) Levels (depth) of processing model (describe, evidence, evaluation)

4) Working memory (describe, evidence, evaluation)

5) Theories of Forgetting

See this link for details of the three main models of memory; remember to also refer to the revision sheets from Hill.

Link 1 Models of Memory

Link 2 Memory Theory

Link 3 Levels of Processing

Link 4 Working Memory and another link and an evaluation link.

Link 5 Theories of Forgetting

May 05

a) Outline one assumption of the cognitive perspective (2)

b) Identify one key concept based on the assumption outlined in part a and explain the relationship between the two (6)

HL Student Presentations

Memory Stores

Multi Store Model

Levels of Processing

Working Memory

Theories of Forgetting

Eye-Witness Testimony

Elizabeth Loftus- The main name in EWT.

Here is an example of the problems of EWT from survivor accounts from the Titanic- link.

An article of the main points of reconstructive memory- link

A project on EWT- link

Culture and Memory

See this link.

Reading: Read this link called 'It s magical. It s malleable. It s..memory'.

1) What is the relationship between memory and selfhood?

2) What new discovery about memory do you find most interesting?

3) What is the "hormunculus crisis"?

4) Which theory of dreams finds support in the experiments of Lynch?

5) How can memories become indelible?

6) How can amnesia and repression be explained?

7) Explain the following statement: "memory is more reconstructive than reproductive'.

8) What new paradigm of memory is now emerging?

9) After reading this article what conclusions can you make about memory?

Cognitive styles- what's yours?

May 03

a) Outline one assumption on which the cognitive explanation of human behaviour is based (4)

b) Choose one research study to demonstrate how the assumption described in part a underpins a cognitive explanation of human behaviour (4)

May 03

a) Describe one model of information processing that helps in the understanding of one aspect of human cognition (10)

b) Using psychological theory and/or research, evaluate the model described in part a (10)

Nov 04

Assess the extent to which one concept or model of information processing has helped in understanding cognition (20)

Student plans:

SL(C)- See link 1 2 3 4 5

SL(D)- See link 1 2 3 4 5

Theoretical Explanations of Behaviour

Cognitive Dissonance (Glassman pages 191-192)

Perceptual Set (link)

Read this handout.

May 04

a) Describe one cognitive explanation of human behaviour, making reference to one empirical study (4)

b) Describe one strength and one limitation of this explanation of human behaviour (4)

Methodologies

Methods- Read this handout

Laboratory experimentation
Clinical interviews
Verbal protocols (and the cognitive interview)

Strengths and Limitations of Methods (i.e. ecological validity)

Ethics and contoversies of research (i.e. use of human participants and use of non-human animals for research)

Nov 03

a) With reference to one research study, describe the main features of one method of investigation used by cognitive psychologists (4)

b) Outline one strength and one limitation of this method (4)

Nov 04

Choose one cognitive research study that could be considered to be controversial

a) Outline the method used in the study (4)

b) Explain why the study is considered controversial (4)

May 05

Describe and evaluate methodologies used in the cognitive perspective (e.g. experiments, interviews, verbal protocols).

Nov 05

a)Briefly describe the method used in one empirical study from the cognitive perspective (4)

b) Describe one ethical strength and one ethical limitation of this method (4)

Application

Strengths and limitations of the perspective in explaining psychological or social questions e.g. aggression, gender differences, stress.

Application of the theories and findings of empirical studies from the cognitive perspective. Contribution of the cognitive perspective to areas such as education (how and what to teach), work (e.g. use of eyewitness testimony), treatment (e.g. self-instructional training). Read this handout and this handout.

Contributions

Read this handout for details of how this perspective contributes to the scientific study of behaviour and its current standing.

Nov 03

To what extent is determinism integral to the cognitive perspective. Illustrate your answer using relevant theories and studies (20)

May 06

Evaluate the contribution of the cognitive perspective to the scientific study of behaviour (20)