INFORMATION PROCESSING AND COGNITIVE
THEORY
The entire process of information processing involves acquiring, retaining, and
using information. Information is received by the brain from the outside of the
body through what is called ‘sensory registers. This information may be in the
form as perceived by any of the 5 senses, visual, auditory, touch, taste and
smell. Many times, we are not consciously aware of these and respond
automatically. However, when we give special attention, we are able to
perceive and become aware of these senses and as we focus our attention on
them, they are in the working memory until we finish with the entire process.
Working memory is such that the items received are retained in it for a very
short period of time and thus it is also called as short-term memory.
This working memory is very short with at a time only 7 items being retained
and that too for a very short period of time. In case we want to keep the items
for a longer period of time or have larger number of items retained we may
have to use strategies such as rehearsing to keep the item for a longer period
and chunking the various items into 7 groups and remembering the chunks and
the materials within.
In contrast to the short-term memory, the long-term memory stores
information for longer periods of time. There is no need to rehearse the items
to keep it in memory for longer periods. Also, any number of items can be
stored and there is no restriction about how much information is to be stored.
To give an example, whenever we are working in the office, we receive letters,
emails, noting, phone calls etc. We respond to some, postpone responding to
others and do not give importance or any attention to some items. We also file
some of the noting and papers received as if we are sending the items to long
term memory. Sometimes when a certain note is received, we try to see and
relate the contents of the items with some stored files such as minutes of a
board meeting in which we had taken some decisions regarding that
concerned matter. That is, we are retrieving items from long term memory in
some fashion or integrate them in some way to attack a complex problem.
In Information Processing and Cognitive Theory also we do the same kind of
complex action. Cognitive processes are also concerned with how people learn,
, understand, think, store and recall the information that has been acquired
over a period of time. You go to school or college and you learn many things. A
large number of things are immediately available to you as you are able to
remember them, but considerable information may be available to you only
when you put in some efforts and there are many more information that are
just not available to you even when you put in efforts. Sometimes you feel that
it is there and you can recall but it slips off and you do not remember. With
certain cues you may be able to recall that information. The entire process of
registering, storing and retrieving information is called information processing
which all come under the rubric of cognitive psychology. One can imagine
one’s brain and the information processing system akin to that of a computer,
where in there are first of all input. This is the information that you send to the
computer. Now you want the computer to store this information so that
whenever you need you can recall it and use it. The computer takes the
information input and stores it as per your command and then retrieves it from
the stored place for you when you need it.
Information Processing Theory
During the 1950’s research on artificial intelligence was being very popular
with experts and psychology scientists trying to create a computer model of
intelligence which can perform many tasks that human’s brain performs.
However, with the many new tools and techniques such the FMRI and PET etc.,
the study of brain functions has become much more sophisticated, more
scientific and more informative. As pointed out by experts and researchers the
information processing studies of cognition flourished during 60’s and 70’s. To
be more specific, information processing theory is actually a framework that
has within it a certain number of related theories having some common
assumptions. As for instance one such assumption is that all cognitive activities
involve mental processes that operate over real time on internal, symbolic
representations of information. That is, information of all sorts is coded as
mental representations with structural properties. Any stimulus that is seen for
the first time, new designer furniture, for instance, the processes involved in
perception makes a mental representation of that furniture. These
representations are then stored by the memory in the long-term memory from
where when necessary, could be retrieved. In fact these representations are
stored after linking them to any related type of representation already in
THEORY
The entire process of information processing involves acquiring, retaining, and
using information. Information is received by the brain from the outside of the
body through what is called ‘sensory registers. This information may be in the
form as perceived by any of the 5 senses, visual, auditory, touch, taste and
smell. Many times, we are not consciously aware of these and respond
automatically. However, when we give special attention, we are able to
perceive and become aware of these senses and as we focus our attention on
them, they are in the working memory until we finish with the entire process.
Working memory is such that the items received are retained in it for a very
short period of time and thus it is also called as short-term memory.
This working memory is very short with at a time only 7 items being retained
and that too for a very short period of time. In case we want to keep the items
for a longer period of time or have larger number of items retained we may
have to use strategies such as rehearsing to keep the item for a longer period
and chunking the various items into 7 groups and remembering the chunks and
the materials within.
In contrast to the short-term memory, the long-term memory stores
information for longer periods of time. There is no need to rehearse the items
to keep it in memory for longer periods. Also, any number of items can be
stored and there is no restriction about how much information is to be stored.
To give an example, whenever we are working in the office, we receive letters,
emails, noting, phone calls etc. We respond to some, postpone responding to
others and do not give importance or any attention to some items. We also file
some of the noting and papers received as if we are sending the items to long
term memory. Sometimes when a certain note is received, we try to see and
relate the contents of the items with some stored files such as minutes of a
board meeting in which we had taken some decisions regarding that
concerned matter. That is, we are retrieving items from long term memory in
some fashion or integrate them in some way to attack a complex problem.
In Information Processing and Cognitive Theory also we do the same kind of
complex action. Cognitive processes are also concerned with how people learn,
, understand, think, store and recall the information that has been acquired
over a period of time. You go to school or college and you learn many things. A
large number of things are immediately available to you as you are able to
remember them, but considerable information may be available to you only
when you put in some efforts and there are many more information that are
just not available to you even when you put in efforts. Sometimes you feel that
it is there and you can recall but it slips off and you do not remember. With
certain cues you may be able to recall that information. The entire process of
registering, storing and retrieving information is called information processing
which all come under the rubric of cognitive psychology. One can imagine
one’s brain and the information processing system akin to that of a computer,
where in there are first of all input. This is the information that you send to the
computer. Now you want the computer to store this information so that
whenever you need you can recall it and use it. The computer takes the
information input and stores it as per your command and then retrieves it from
the stored place for you when you need it.
Information Processing Theory
During the 1950’s research on artificial intelligence was being very popular
with experts and psychology scientists trying to create a computer model of
intelligence which can perform many tasks that human’s brain performs.
However, with the many new tools and techniques such the FMRI and PET etc.,
the study of brain functions has become much more sophisticated, more
scientific and more informative. As pointed out by experts and researchers the
information processing studies of cognition flourished during 60’s and 70’s. To
be more specific, information processing theory is actually a framework that
has within it a certain number of related theories having some common
assumptions. As for instance one such assumption is that all cognitive activities
involve mental processes that operate over real time on internal, symbolic
representations of information. That is, information of all sorts is coded as
mental representations with structural properties. Any stimulus that is seen for
the first time, new designer furniture, for instance, the processes involved in
perception makes a mental representation of that furniture. These
representations are then stored by the memory in the long-term memory from
where when necessary, could be retrieved. In fact these representations are
stored after linking them to any related type of representation already in
