Discuss the cognitive approach in psychology.
Updated: 7 days ago
Question 10 Mark Scheme
Discuss the cognitive approach in psychology.
[16 marks]
What is expected in the answer?
The command word “discuss” requires students to describe the main assumptions of the cognitive approach and then evaluate its contribution to understanding behaviour. For a 16-mark response, students need accurate AO1 on internal mental processes, schemas, models and inference, followed by substantially more AO3 considering strengths and limitations.
Under the current specification, the cognitive approach specifically includes the study of internal mental processes, the role of schema, and the use of models to explain and make inferences about mental processes.
Marks for this question: AO1 = 6, AO3 = 10
This is an original 16-mark question without a scenario, so an appropriate allocation is AO1 = 6 and AO3 = 10. This follows the established structure used for 16-mark questions on psychological approaches, such as the specimen behaviourist question and the June 2025 psychodynamic question.
Level | Marks | Description |
4 | 13–16 | Knowledge of the cognitive approach is accurate and generally well detailed. Evaluation is thorough and effective. The answer is clear, coherent and focused, with effective use of specialist terminology. Minor detail and/or expansion of argument may occasionally be lacking. |
3 | 9–12 | Knowledge of the cognitive approach is evident but there may be occasional inaccuracies or omissions. Evaluation is mostly effective. The answer is mostly clear and organised but may occasionally lack focus. |
2 | 5–8 | Limited knowledge of the cognitive approach is present. The response is mainly descriptive. Evaluation is only partly effective. The answer may lack clarity, accuracy and organisation in places. |
1 | 1–4 | Knowledge of the cognitive approach is very limited. Evaluation is limited, poorly focused or absent. The answer contains substantial inaccuracies or inappropriate terminology. |
0 | 0 | No relevant content. |
Indicative content
AO1: The study of internal mental processes
The cognitive approach focuses on internal mental processes involved in behaviour.
These can include processes such as:
perception
attention
memory
thinking
problem-solving
decision-making.
Unlike strict behaviourism, cognitive psychologists argue that psychology should investigate what happens between a stimulus and a behavioural response.
For example:
information enters the cognitive system → information is processed → a behavioural response occurs
Internal mental processes cannot usually be observed directly. Cognitive psychologists therefore investigate observable behaviour and use this to draw conclusions about the mental processing responsible for it.
The June 2023 mark scheme accepted the assumption that internal mental processes can be studied as a defining feature of the cognitive approach.
Inference
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