IB - The Cognitive Perspective

Introduction

Cognitive psychology is concerned with how people acquire, store, transform, use and
communicate information. Cognitive psychologists rejected the behaviorist assumption
that mental events or states were unsuitable for scientific research.

In this unit students 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.

You need to be able to:

Describe and evaluate theories and empirical studies within this 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

behavior.

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 lack ecological validity, and be able to consider
alternative research methods.

Describe and evaluate the cultural context and development, the conceptual
framework, the methodology, and the application of the cognitive perspective.

Explain how cultural, ethical, gender, and methodological considerations affect the
interpretation of behavior from a cognitive perspective.

Historical Development and Cultural Context

Challenges to behaviorism
The use of the computer model
The development of brain scan technology
 Assumptions
1. Processes within the person are considered central to the understanding
behaviour.
2. These mediating processes operate in an organized and systematic way, not by
trial and error.
3. Focuses on the mental processes and on determining the role that mental
processes play in determining emotions and behaviour.
4. Deepened understanding of memory, psycholinguistics, and the development of
intelligence.
5. Mental processes can and should be investigated scientifically.
6. Cognitive processes actively organize and manipulate information that we
receive - humans are not passive responders to their environment. Soft
determinism.
7. Non-human animals may be used to help understand human behavior.
8. Models of psychological functions can be proposed. (Do not only learn this one
basic assumption - it is often the least flexible for answering a paper I prompt.)

Key Concepts and Ideas

Cognitive’s definition of learning: Basic Model of Memory
• The process of gathering information • Sensory memory - A modality specific
and organizing it i9nto mental transient form of memory, which serves as
schemata. a buffer between the senses and short term
Cognitive’s definition of memory: memory.
• The retention and use of prior learning • Short term memory - The component of
memory which handles retention over
Cognitive Equilibrium: relatively brief intervals of up to
• A state of mental balance. approximately 15 seconds. Stores visual
information and sounds
Relearning
Long term memory
• In memory an improvement in
performance which occurs by • The component of memory which is
reviewing, despite the inability to recall involved with retention over relatively long
or recognize information. periods. Related to type of information and
how it is encoded
Priming
Processes
• A phenomenon whereby a thought or
memory increases the activation of Memory process
associated thoughts of memories. • Encoding/interpretation: the immediate
Mental set or schema (Tolman) representation of a stimulus; involves
selection, comprehension, abstraction and
• The method an individual uses to
integration
organizes their perception of a
particular situation such as a problem • Channels
Latent Learning (Tolman) • Depth
• A term used by Tolman used to • Schema Activation
describe situations in which learning is Elaboration/Rehearsal:
distinct from the performance.
The manner in which the stimulus is kept alive in the
Insight Learning (Kohler) working memory.
• Insight learning is a sudden change in
the way one organizes a problem
situation typically this is characterized
by a change in behaviour from random
responding to rule-based responding.

Key Theorists and Their Contributions

Jean Piaget: (1896- 1980) Miller (1956)
• Was the major pioneer of cognitive • Is best known for his work in determining
theory. Chunking for the Short term memory
• “ How children think is much more • Chunk: The basic measure of Short term
 important than what they know.” memory capacity representing a meaningful
Wolfgang Kohler: (1887-1967) unit, such as random letters number or
words.
• Was founder of the Gestalts theory.
Hermann Ebbinghaus
• His studies with Apes led him to a view
of problem solving as an active process • Developed techniques for the experimental
of insight and on determining the role study of memory and forgetting.
that mental processes play in Endel Tulving’s
determining emotions and behaviour. • Known for the three distinct forms of long
Edward Tolman: (1886-1959) term memory
• Developed a concept of “Purposive • Procedural memory: Stores “how to”
behaviourism” which emphasised the information such as how to play a piano.
distinctions between learning and • Semantic memory: Involves general
performance and viewed learning in knowledge of how the world, such as
terms of the formation of hypothesis knowing the capital of Japan.
and cognitive maps.
• Episodic memory: Contains personal
• Helped to lay the foundations for the experiences
cognitive approach

General theorists to know: Hermann  Memory Research (some are biological): Atkinson 
Ebbinghaus, F. C. Donders, Tversky and  & Shiffrin, Craik & Lockhart, Endel Tulving, 
Kahnemann, Jean Piaget, Leon Festinger,  Flourens & Lashley, Glanzer & Cunitz, 
Frederic Bartlett, Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis.  Thompson, Brown & Kulik, Milner, Morris, 
Maguire, Joe Martinez (bio), Cole & Scribner, 
Elizabeth Loftus, Miller.

Attitude Toward Determinism

Behavior is “freely determined”: there is some selection and
interpretation of stimuli and some decision and choice, but these
operate within the constraints of the existing system.

Methods
Strengths and limitations of methods
• experiments
• ecological validity
• interviews
 • verbal protocols

Applications
(Where and how is this perspective used with specific examples)
Memory The Cognitive Interview to improve eye-witness
How the mind works testimony
• Mental Maps
How we learn RET & Cognitive restructuring therapy in the
treatment of depression.

Ethical Issues
• use of human participants for research • use of non-human participants for research

Evaluation of the Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: Limitations:
• Has revolutionised developmental • Doesn’t take into account the person, the
psychology by focusing attention on self
active mental processes. • Doesn’t explain complete behaviour
• We now understand the types of • Doesn’t take into account the physiological
thinking that are possible at various aspects of our bodies.
ages.
• The legal question of intent
• Unable to explain complex cognitive,
emotional, and perceptual dimensions of
human development.
• Incomplete picture of developmental
influences.
• Focuses too much on the individual child,
focuses to little on the social context.
• Seriously underestimates the role of
biological and genetic influences.
• Contributory negligence
 • Collusion
• Competence to stand trial
• Eye witness testimony

Key Terms
chunking combining separate items of amnesia loss of memory caused by a blow or damage to the
information into a larger unit, then brain or by drug use or by severe psychological
remembering the unit as a whole stress
declarative memories for facts or events cognitive
a technique for questioning eyewitnesses by having
memory (scenes, stories, faces, etc.); interview
them imagine and reconstruct details of event fully
conscious and retrievable
echoic a form of sensory memory that forgetting
the inability to retrieve, recall, or recognize
memory holds auditory information for one
information that was stored in long-term memory
or two seconds
effortful transfer of information from short- forgetting
measures amount of previously learned information
encoding term into long-term memory by curve
that subjects can recall or recognize across time
working hard to do so
eidetic the ability to examine material for interference
imagery 10-30 seconds and retain a a common reason for forgetting; recall of a particular
detailed visual image for several memory is blocked by other related memories
minutes
elaborative making meaningful associations long-term
a neuron becoming more sensitive to stimulation after
rehearsal between information to be learned potentiation
it has been repeatedly stimulated
and information already (LTP)
encoding making mental representations of method of
encoding technique that creates visual associations
information so that it can be placed loci
between memorized places and items to memorize
or put into our memories
flashbulb vivid recollections, usually in great network
arranging nodes so concrete information is at bottom
memories detail, of dramatic or emotionally hierarchy
of hierarchy, with abstract ideas at top level
charged incidents of great interest
iconic a form of sensory memory that network
says we store related ideas in separate categories or
memory holds visual information for about a theory
files called nodes, all linked together in a network
quarter of a second
interference results when new information nodes
enters short-term memory and memory files that contain related information
overwrites information already organized around a specific topic or category
there
long-term peg method a mnemonic device in which a person first memorizes
the process of storing almost
memory a list of objects and then forms mental images linking
unlimited amounts of information
those objects ("peg words") to a list of names to be
over long periods of time
memorized
maintenance simply repeating or rehearsing the proactive
when old information (learned earlier) blocks the
rehearsal information rather than forming any interference
remembering of new information (learned later)
new associations
photographic the ability to form sharp, detailed recall
memory visual images of a page, then to retrieving previously learned information without the
recall the entire image at a later aid of or with very few external cues
date
primacy- better recall of information recognition
identifying previously learned information with the
recency effect presented at the beginning and at
help of more external cues
the end of a task
procedural memories for performing motor repression
a Freudian mental process that automatically hides
memory tasks, habits, conditioning; not
emotionally threatening information in unconscious
conscious or retrievable
repression process of pushing memories of retrieval
threat or trauma into the cues mental reminders we create by forming vivid mental
unconscious, from which it cannot images or creating associations between information
be retrieved
sensory an initial process that holds retroactive
memory information in raw form for a brief interference when new information (learned later) blocks the
period of time (instant to several retrieval of related old information (learned earlier)
seconds)
short-term another process that can hold only source
a memory error that results when a person has
(working) a limited amount of information (7 misattributi
difficulty in deciding where a memory came from
memory items) for short period (2-30 sec) on
storing the process of placing encoded state-
information into relatively dependent easier to recall information when in same emotional
permanent mental storage for later learning or physiological state or setting as when first learned
recall
tip-of-the-
tongue despite great effort, temporary inability to recall
phenomeno information we absolutely know is in our memory
n

EXAM SHORT ANSWER and ESSAY QUESTIONS

• QUESTION 1: a) Describe one cognitive explanation of human behavior, making reference to

one empirical study. [4 marks]

b) Describe one strength and one limitation of this explanation of

human behavior. [4 marks]

• QUESTION 2: a) Explain one psychological or social question (for example, aggression, or

gender differences) from the cognitive perspective. [10 marks]

b) Compare the cognitive explanation of the question selected in part a) with the explanation
offered by one other perspective you have studied for this paper. [10 marks]

• QUESTION 3: (a) Outline one assumption of the cognitive perspective. (2 marks).

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

• QUESTION 4: Describe and evaluate methodologies used in the cognitive perspective (e.g.
experiments, interviews, verbal protocols). (20 marks)

• QUESTION 5: Choose one cognitive research study that could be considered to be controversial.
a) Outline the method used in the chosen study. [4 marks]

b) Explain why the study is considered controversial. [4 marks]

• QUESTION 6: Assess the extent to which one concept or model of information processing has
helped in understanding cognition. [20 marks]

• QUESTION 7: (a) Outline one empirical study within the cognitive perspective. [4 marks]
 (b) Describe one application of findings obtained from the empirical study outlined in part (a). [4
marks]

• QUESTION 8: Referring to experiments and alternative research methods (e.g., verbal protocols,
interviews) assess claims that some research within the cognitive perspective lacks ecological
validity.

• QUESTION 9: Identify one study from the cognitive perspective, and explain one strength and
one limitation of the research method used in the study. (8 marks)

• QUESTION 10: Evaluate the contribution of the cognitive perspective to the scientific study of
behavior. (20 marks)

QUESTION 11: Explain one historical or cultural condition that gave rise to the cognitive
perspective. [8 marks]

QUESTION 12: (a) Describe a cognitive explanation of one psychological or social question. [10
marks]

(b) Evaluate the cognitive explanation described in part (a). [10 marks]

QUESTION 13: (a) Describe one assumption on which the cognitive explanation of human
behavior is based. (4 marks)

QUESTION 14: (a) Describe one model of information processing that helps in the understanding
of one aspect of human cognition. (10 marks)

(b)Using psychological theory and/or research, evaluate the model described in part (a) of this
question. (10 marks)

QUESTION 15: (a) With reference to one research study, describe the main features of one
method of investigation used by cognitive psychologists [4 marks]

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

QUESTION 16: To what extent is determinism integral to the cognitive perspective? Illustrate
your answer using relevant theories and studies [20 marks]

QUESTION 17: (a) Briefly describe the method used in one empirical study from the cognitive
perspective. [4 marks]

(b) Outline one ethical strength and one ethical limitation of the method described in part (a). [4
marks]
QUESTION 18: (a) Outline one theoretical explanation of behavior from the cognitive
perspective. [6 marks]

(b) Discuss strengths and limitations of the theoretical explanation of

behavior outlined in part (a). [14 marks]