Results: Participants who received the false memory suggestion were more likely to report liking asparagus than the control group.
Cognitive Approach
Psychology Notes
A Level/AS Level/O Level
Cognitive Approach
The Cognitive Approach to Psychology: Thinking Makes it Real
The cognitive approach in psychology focuses on how our thoughts, beliefs, and interpretations shape our behaviour. It's like a detective investigating the inner workings of our minds to understand why we do what we do. Think of it as the "thinking" part of the equation.
Key Concepts
Here's a breakdown of key concepts:
1. Mental Processes:
Attention: What are we consciously aware of and paying attention to at any given moment? Memory: How we store, retrieve, and use information from our past experiences. Language: How we use words and symbols to communicate. Problem-solving: How we approach and tackle challenges. Decision-making: How we weigh options and choose a course of action.
2. Schemas:
Imagine your mind is a library full of organized knowledge about the world. Schemas are like mental folders in that library, containing information about specific concepts, events, or people.
Example: Your "restaurant" schema might include information like what to expect when you enter a restaurant, how to order food, and typical table manners.
3. Information Processing:
The cognitive approach views the mind as an information processor, similar to a computer.
Input: We receive information through our senses (sight, sound, etc.). Processing: Our brains analyze, interpret, and store this information. Output: We respond to the information based on our processing.
4. Cognitive Biases:
Everyone has mental shortcuts that help us make quick judgments. But sometimes these biases can lead to flawed thinking.
Example: Confirmation bias is when we only seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs, even if contradicting evidence exists.
5. Cognitive Therapies:
Cognitive therapies, like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), aim to identify and change negative thought patterns that contribute to mental health issues.
Example: A therapist might help someone with anxiety identify their worrisome thoughts and teach them strategies to challenge those thoughts.
6. Real-World Examples:
Memory: You probably remember your first day of school, a special birthday, or a traumatic event more vividly than a typical day. This is because emotional events are more likely to be encoded into long-term memory. Attention: You might struggle to focus on studying while listening to loud music because distractions capture your attention away from the task at hand. Problem-solving: When you're lost, you might use a map or GPS to navigate your way home. This illustrates how we use tools and strategies to solve problems. Cognitive Biases: If you're buying a new phone, you might be more likely to focus on reviews that praise the phone you're considering, while ignoring negative reviews. This is an example of confirmation bias.
7. The Asparagus Experiment:
The experiment you mentioned used a technique called false memory implantation, which demonstrates the power of suggestion on memory.
Results: Participants who received the false memory suggestion were more likely to report liking asparagus than the control group. This shows how suggestibility can influence our memories, even if the event never actually happened.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the cognitive approach highlights the crucial role our thoughts and mental processes play in shaping our behaviour and experiences. By understanding how we think, we can gain insights into why we act the way we do, and even find ways to improve our mental well-being.
Bonus Notes
Responses to Psychology Essay Questions:
1. Cognitive Approach:
The cognitive approach explains false memory formation through processes like constructive memory, where we actively reconstruct memories using existing knowledge and schemas. This can lead to inaccurate recall, especially when exposed to misinformation or suggestions. The asparagus study demonstrates this by implanting the false belief that people dislike asparagus, leading to participants recalling a nonexistent childhood aversion. This occurs due to source monitoring errors, where we misattribute the origin of information, confusing the implanted suggestion with a genuine memory. Retrieval of false memories involves accessing these reconstructed memories, which become intertwined with genuine ones, making them difficult to distinguish.
2. Results:
The study's findings highlight the unreliability of memory, as even vivid, personal experiences can be manipulated through suggestive information. This underscores the vulnerability of the human mind to suggestion, demonstrating how easily false memories can be implanted and retrieved. This has significant implications for eyewitness testimony, as even seemingly reliable accounts can be influenced by external factors, raising concerns about the accuracy of justice systems.
3. Cognitive Approach and Results:
The asparagus study provides compelling evidence for the cognitive approach's explanation of memory distortion. It demonstrates how cognitive processes like schema activation, source monitoring errors, and reconstructive memory contribute to the creation and retrieval of false memories. This study highlights the active and malleable nature of memory, emphasizing the need to consider cognitive factors when evaluating the reliability of memory recall.
4. Methodology:
Strengths: The study employed a controlled design with a clear manipulation of the independent variable (suggestive information). The large sample size increased the study's generalizability, making the results more applicable to a wider population. The procedure involved a controlled manipulation of information, ensuring that the effect of the independent variable was isolated.
Weaknesses: The study relied on self-reported memories, which are prone to subjectivity and bias. The use of a convenience sample may limit the generalizability of the findings, as participants may not be representative of the wider population. The lack of a control group receiving no suggestive information limits the study's ability to definitively attribute the effect to the manipulation.
5. Applications:
The study's findings have significant implications for various settings:
⭐Legal: It raises concerns about the reliability of eyewitness testimony, emphasizing the importance of scrutinizing evidence and implementing safeguards against misleading questioning.
⭐Clinical: It informs therapeutic interventions dealing with trauma and false memories, highlighting the need for careful and ethical approaches to memory recovery.
⭐Educational: It emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and source evaluation skills in educational settings, particularly when dealing with historical accounts or personal narratives.