Internal Mental Processes

Overview of Internal Mental Processes

  • Internal mental processes refer to the private, cognitive mechanisms that underpin human behaviour. These include perception, memory, attention, and thinking.
  • Fundamental to the cognitive approach, these processes are considered vital for the interpretation and understanding of our environment.
  • Cognitive psychologists study these processes using inference, concluding the nature of these internal processes based on observable behaviour.

Perception

  • Perception involves the interpretation of sensory information we receive from the environment.
  • Our perceptions are shaped by internal mental processes and prior experiences, suggesting they are highly subjective.
  • Example research: Gregory’s ‘Top Down’ theory proposes that our perceptions are not just based on the sensory information we receive but also on expectations and past knowledge.

Memory

  • Memory is an internal process that involves the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information.
  • The “Multi-Store Model of Memory” by Atkinson and Shiffrin divides memory into three stores: sensory, short-term, and long-term memory.
  • The “Working Memory Model” by Baddeley and Hitch, on the other hand, suggests that short-term memory is an active processor rather than a passive store.

Attention

  • Attention refers to the process of focusing cognitive resources on specific information or stimuli while ignoring others.
  • Selective attention theories, like the cocktail party effect, indicate our ability to focus on particular stimuli in a crowded environment.
  • Divided attention theories suggest that attention is a limited resource and performance decreases when multiple tasks are attended to simultaneously.

Thinking and Decision Making

  • Thinking, as an internal mental process, involves manipulation of stored information to form thoughts, solve problems and make decisions.
  • Problem-solving involves cognitive strategies to find a solution to a challenging situation. Algorithms and heuristics are two main strategies discussed.
  • The study of decision-making focuses on understanding how we make choices and what influences these choices. Dual-process theories explains decision making through System 1 (fast, unconscious, automatic thinking) and System 2 (slow, conscious, rational thinking).

Strengths and Weaknesses

  • The cognitive approach, through the study of internal mental processes, has contributed significantly to the understanding of human behaviour and the development of cognitive therapies.
  • However, the cognitive approach is critiqued for relying heavily on inference and lacking ecological validity due to frequent use of laboratory experiments.
  • It also simplifies complex processes and tends to ignore emotional, social, and cultural influences on cognition.