Cognitive Approach
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 5.2.2
Cognitive Approach: Strengths and Weaknesses
There are several different approaches to the study of psychology: psychodynamic, cognitive, biological, and learning.
Strength - specific mental processes
- Many of the other approaches overlook the specific mental processes that happen during learning.
- The cognitive approach examines these.
- For example, the multi-store model of memory examines the specific roles of each type of memory store.
Strength - development of therapies
- As with the psychodynamic approach, therapies based on the cognitive approach have been developed.
- Cognitive behaviour therapy allows patients to examine their thinking (cognition) to alter their behaviour.
- This makes this approach useful and applicable.
Weakness - lacking ecological validity
- As many of the experiments take place in a laboratory setting, they lack ecological validity.
- In other words, the settings are highly artificial (like computer models) so may not apply to real life situations.
Weakness - differences
- The cognitive approach has a failure because it does not take into account individual differences in cognition.
- People may differ in their mental processes.
Test yourself on Cognitive Approach
A lot of research that employs the cognitive approach lacks what kind of validity?