Approaches: Cognitive Neuroscience
The cognitive approach is the approach that considers internal mental processes and argues that they could be scientifically studied. This approach investigates the areas that behaviourists don’t, such as memory, perception and thinking. It is indirectly studied by making inferences about what is happening inside people’s minds and in their behaviour.
AO2: Application of the cognitive approach:
Understanding and treating mental illnesses: Mental illnesses can be linked to thought processes, for example someone with depression will constantly have negative thought processes. Also, the treatment of mental illnesses can be linked to thought processes as some may go to counselling sessions to talk about their thoughts, and the counsellors may help them to think about thinks in a more positive way.
Preventing road accidents: Authorities promote adverts about driving and accidents, to make you remember the adverts whilst driving and make you think about hazards and dangerous driving, causing you to drive in a safer way.
AO3: Evaluation of the cognitive approach:
The cognitive approach is useful with the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses because it allows the idea that everyone is unique and that one method that helps to cure one person, may not work well with another person.
However, it doesn’t consider biology in detail; it dismisses the idea that genetics and inheritance may affect some people or that environmental factors may have influences on these illnesses. It states that our thoughts can cause these illnesses and how the way we think can affect us. Which almost has a negative impact as it can be inferred that we are to blame as we let ourselves think in such a negative way.
On the other hand, this approach allows the scientific approach (e.g. brain scans to look into what happens where in the brain) as it can be controlled. It is reliable and allows the chance to collect and evaluate evidence or data and helps to further develop certain methods of treatment.
Furthermore, the cognitive approach is useful as it can be applied to a variety of every day scenarios, such as; preventing road traffic accidents, increasing sales in stores and improving break ti me behaviour in school corridors.
