Introduction
- State what you are doing in the essay
- This essay will give a brief summary of the principles that define the cognitive level of analysis
- Define the cognitive level of analysis
- The cognitive level of analysis (CLA) is based on mental processes such as perception, attention, language, memory and thinking
- It concerns the way we take in information from the outside world, how we make sense of that information and what use we make of it.
- State the principles of the CLA
- There are three underlying principles that define the CLA:
- Human beings are information processors and that mental representations guide behaviour
- Mental processes can and should be studied scientifically by developing theories and by using a variety of research methods
- Social and cultural factors affect cognitive processes
- Purpose of the principles
- These principles are the main ideas that have driven focused research on specific areas of behaviour and physiology.
- They also allow us to understand how behaviour can be caused of influences by cognitive processes.
- Define cognition
- Refers to a process that is based on one's mental representations of the world, such as images, words and concepts.
- People likewise have different experiences and therefore each individual will have different mental representations of the world.
- For example: what boys can do, girls cannot do this cognition will influence the way they act
Body
- State principle 1
- Cognitive psychologists believe that mental processes and stored representations of the world determine behaviour and are central to human experience.
- Describe the principle
- Psychologists see the mind as a complex machine – where they believe that it is useful to model mental processes using an information-processing approach whereby:
- Information is examined from the outside world is received and encoded
- storage and representation of this information to ourselves
- ways in which this information is manipulated and used by the individual
- and how we output information back into the world to be received by others.
- Many cognitive psychologists have used the computer analogy, where they have conceived the human mind as being similar to a computer, in that both can be seen as information processors, to attempt to understand how the brain manages these mental processes (information processing).
- The brain in this instance is seen as the hardware and the mind, thoughts and mental representations/images as the software.
- Explain Computer Analogy
- They have attempted to understand what occurs between input and output.
- They have addressed how the mind selects and codes incoming information and represents knowledge to itself, while processing it and combining it with previously stored information (organisation), and then how inferences are made based upon this information and therefore leads to our cognitions affecting behaviour.
- (OR) Both people and computers store information and retrieve it when applicable to current tasks.
- People, like computers acquire information from the environment (input).
- Both transform information, produce new information and then both return the information back to the environment in the form of behaviour (output).
- Explain top-down/bottom-up processing
- According to this approach, information input to the mind comes via bottom-up processing – that is, from the sensory system. This information is processed in the mind by top-down processing via pre-stored information (schemas) in the memory. Finally, when the information is processed there is some output in the form of behaviour.
- Applications of principle
- This information processing approach/principle can be seen in:
- Schema theory – assumed to operate through top-down processing; the role of schema (organized sets of associated information) shape perception and can increase efficiency of processing, but can also lead to distortions.
- They allow us to take short-cuts in interpreting vast amounts of information.
- State principle 2
- A second principle of the CLA states that the mind can be studied scientifically by developing theories and by using a number of scientific research methods.
- Where mental processes/representations can be studied empirically even if they cannot be directly observed in the same way as behaviour.
- Describe the principle
- Testable theories can be developed and derived from unobservable cognitive structures/processes, and inferences made.
- These theories can be tested using a scientific and appropriate research method of experimentation.
- Applications of principle
- This information processing approach/principle can be seen:
- Through memory processes such as the models of memory demonstrated by Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968).
- Describe the Study
- Aim:
- To investigate the processes of memory that there are different types of memory that are used for different tasks.
- The multi-store model generally assumes memory is passive and that there are separate cognitive methods by which it is used. Thus, like a computer memory, it needs a separate processor to insert and retrieve memories.
- Theory (derived from study):
- The multi-store model consists of three parts, the sensory memory, the short-term memory (STM) and the long term memory (LTM).
- Some information from the sensory store moves to the STM (limited capacity).
- Some information from the STM moves to the LTM via constant rehearsal of that information.
- Once that piece of information is stored in the LTM it is long lasting; perhaps even for a lifetime if that certain piece of information is that strong.
- The difference in forgetting between STM and LTM is that: memory forgotten from the short term store is lost whereas forgotten memories in the LTM are still in the system but cannot be retrieved.
- Connection of study to principle
- Atkinson & Shiffrin demonstrating how cognitive processes such as memory, can be scientifically studied
- Atkinson & Shiffrin developed a theory of memory, known as the multistore model
- And this theory enabled them to study memory being a cognitive process
- Thus, the study demonstrates that the mind (cognitive functions, structures and processes) can be studied scientifically, in which cognitive theories and models can be applied to real-life scenarios.
- State principle 3
- A third principle that defines the CLA is that cognitive processes are influenced by social and cultural factors.
- Describe the Principle
- An example of a cognitive process is schemas.
- Schemas are organised mental representations of knowledge of people, objects, events
and actions.
- The schema theory is the cognitive theory of processing information.
- The information that a person is exposed to can be determined by the society and the culture that they are in
- Likewise, because people are in different societies and cultures, different people are exposed to different information
- Therefore individuals will have different schemas
- Social and cultural factors are factors that is dependent on/varies depending on culture
- Examples include
- Religion
- Cultural tradition
- Beliefs
- Morals
- Whereby these examples are acquired from gatekeepers; parents, peers, teachers etc
- This principle is demonstrated in a study conducted by Bartlett (1932)
- Describe the Study
- Aim:
- Bartlett aimed to investigate the effect of culture on memory.
- Participants were English.
- Method:
- Were asked to read “The War of the Ghosts” – a Native American folk tale.
- Tested their memory of the story using serial reproduction and repeated reproduction, where they were asked to recall it six or seven times over various retention intervals.
- Results:
- Both methods lead to similar results.
- As the number of reproductions increased, the story became shorter and there were more changes to the story.
- Conclusion:
- These changes show the alteration of culturally unfamiliar things into what the English participants were culturally familiar with.
- This makes the story more understandable according to the participants’ experiences and cultural background (schemas).
- Connection of Study tPrinciple
- Bartlett's study supports the principle that social and cultural factors affect cognitive processes as:
- The difference in participants and the stimuli used in terms of culture affected mental representations (schemas).
Conclusion
- There are three fundamental principles that define the cognitive level of analysis, which help research into cognition.
- However, views from all levels of analysis need to be taken into account before reaching a determined decision on influences on human behaviour.
