Cognitive information processing
Jan 03, 2016
Cognitive information processing
A result of several influences
• Especially:– Learning theory
• S-R; S-O-R
– Computer science/Information processing• Turing• Intelligent machines
– Information theory• Shannon/Bell Labs
Proposes:
• Sensory input is transformed into meaning through a series of actions you perform– Mainly in the brain, but not all– The processes are in a relatively invariant
order– All people follow the same set of processes of
thinking– However, the outcomes can be quite different
Four major types of info processing theories
• Stage theory
• Depth of processing theory
• Parallel distributed processing theory
• Connectionist models
Stage theory
• Argues for three major types of memory– Sensory memory– Short-term memory– Long-term memory
Levels-of-processing
• All information is stored, problem is in retrieval
• Retrieval is based on the amount of elaboration used in processing of information
• Perception, attention, labeling, meaning
Parallel distributed processing theory
• Simultaneous processing by several different parts of memory system rather than sequentially
Connectionistic theory
• Information is stored in multiple locations throughout the brain in the form of networks of connections
• More connections to a single idea or concept, the more likely it is to be stored and retrieved
General principles
• Limited capacity to be actively processed at a given time– Bottlenecks
• Control mechanism—part of the system’s processing capacity must be assigned to a control mechanism
Source: Huitt