Psychology Essay: Discuss at least two assumptions of the cognitive approach in psychology

Discuss at least two assumptions of the cognitive approach in psychology

(10 marks)

4 A01 marks = describe / name the assumptions
6 A02 marks = criticise the assumptions

Note: the more assumptions you name, the more AO2 marks you can achieve by criticising.

One assumption of the cognitive approach is that psychology should be scientific and use lab experiments to objectively measure behaviour (AO1). The humanistic approach disagrees and rejects scientific methodology, as Rogers believes that experiments create artificial environments and have low ecological validity (AO2). Humanism prefers rich qualitative data rather than the quantitative data obtained using experiments.

The cognitive approach believes that mediational processes occur between stimulus and response, e.g. memory and perception (A01). The behaviourist approach disagrees because they believe that mediational processes are internal behaviour, which cannot be seen or objectively measured, and therefore do not exist (A02).

Another assumption is that the mind works in a way similar to a computer: inputting, storing and retrieving data, i.e. the information processing approach (A01). However, there is a problem with this view. There are many differences between the human mind and a computer. The human mind has unlimited memory storage and a computer has a limited memory storage (called the hard drive). Also humans have emotions and computers don’t (A02).

Wundt, a cognitive psychologist, states that introspection is a valid method of studying human behaviour (A01). Introspection is a method of investigating conscious thought and mental processes by asking people verbally to report on what they are consciously thinking or feeling. Behaviourism criticise introspection for being too subjective and is not considered scientific even if the methods used in introspection are (A02).

Cognitive Psychology has been criticised as being too simplistic and ignoring the complex behaviour processes humans go through. Studying humans by analysing cognitive functions means ignoring biological influences such as genetics, the unconscious mind (Freud) and the environment (Behaviourism). It also takes no account of processes such as motivation or emotion (Humanists believe this is very important) (A02).

The cognitive approach believes that people are born with schemas and cognitive functions like perception and memory stores. The behaviourist approach disagrees with the idea of innate behaviour, as Skinner and Watson think that people are born a blank slate (tabula rasa) and that all behaviour is learned from the environment (A02).