Cognitive Approach (Paper 2)

What does the cognitive approach focus on?

• The influence of genetics on behaviour
• How people think, perceive, and process information
• The role of the unconscious mind
• How rewards and punishments shape behaviour

Answer explanation

The cognitive approach studies internal mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving.

Which metaphor is commonly used to describe the human mind in the cognitive approach?

• A muscle
• A blank slate
• A computer
• A reflex system

Answer explanation

The cognitive approach compares the mind to a computer, emphasizing input, processing, storage, and output of information.

What is meant by ‘schemas’ in cognitive psychology?

• Fixed behaviours learned from the environment
• Mental frameworks that help organize and interpret information
• Emotional responses to stimuli
• A type of reinforcement used in learning

Answer explanation

Schemas are cognitive structures that help individuals process and understand new information based on prior knowledge and experiences.

Which research method is most commonly used in cognitive psychology?

• Case studies
• Introspection
• Controlled laboratory experiments
• Psychoanalysis

Answer explanation

Cognitive psychologists use experiments to study thinking and memory in a controlled, scientific way.

Which of the following is an example of cognitive processing?

• Salivating when smelling food
• Recalling a childhood memory
• Learning through punishment and reward
• Feeling fear when hearing a loud noise

Answer explanation

Memory retrieval is a cognitive process, as it involves the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information.

What is cognitive neuroscience?

• The study of how environmental factors shape thinking
• The combination of cognitive psychology and biological
• A type of therapy that changes behaviour
• The study of how childhood experiences shape cognition

Answer explanation

Cognitive neuroscience links mental processes to brain activity, using technologies like fMRI scans to study how the brain supports cognitive functions.

Which of the following best defines "internal mental processes" in the cognitive approach

• Actions observable in behaviour that influence cognition.
• Private processes of the mind mediating between stimulus and response
• Emotions experienced during specific mental states.
• Physiological reactions in the brain during memory recall.

Answer explanation

Internal mental processes in the cognitive approach refers to the mental activities (e.g., thinking, memory) that occur between external stimuli and behavioral responses.

What is an inference in cognitive psychology?

• A direct observation of brain activity during a task.
• Drawing conclusions about mental processes from observable behaviour.
• Using schemas to predict behaviour in new situations.
• The process of rehearsing information to store it in long-term memory.

Answer explanation

inferences are conclusions drawn about unobservable mental processes based on observable behavior, as direct observation of mental processes is not possible.

How does the cognitive approach use computer models

• To replicate neural pathways in the brain.
• As metaphors to represent information processing in the mind.
• To design artificial intelligence systems for psychological experiments.
• To explain the emotional aspects of cognition.

Answer explanation

Cognitive psychologists use computer models to represent the way humans process information, drawing a metaphor between how computers and human minds handle input and output.

Mental representations, or packages of information, based on past experiences

• Computer models
• Theoretical models
• Inferences
• Schemas

Answer explanation

Schemas are mental frameworks or packages of information based on past experiences, used to interpret and organize information.