Chapter 6: Cognitive Growth: Information Processing Approach Flashcards
Information Processing Approach
focuses on ways people process information about their world, seek to identify the ways individuals take in, use, and store information
Three things- Info Processing Approach
- manipulate information
- monitor information
- create strategies to deal with it
Model For information processing
Stimulus–attention–(encoding)–memory—-thinking—–response
Improvements in Info-Processing
-experience (nurture)
-continuing myelination of axons (requires fat)
less than one year (breast milk)
3 yrs (2% milk)
5+ years (no skim!!!, nonfat milk)
Changes in Processing Speed with Age
- Improves dramatically through childhood and adolescence
- begins decline early childhood (reaction time/processing speed slows) (affects memory)
- keeps declining in middle and late adulthood
Attention
info processing involving ability to strategically choose among and sort out different stimuli in environment; concentrating and focusing mental resources
Interesting new Phenomenon
“learned attention deficit”
“continual partial attention”
Sustained Attention(vigilance)
state of readiness to detect and respond to small changes occurring at random times in environment
ex/Ready to respond if called on in class
Selective Attention
focusing on specific aspect of experience that is relevant while ignoring others
ex/ studying in a noisy environment
Divided Attention
concentrating on more than one activity at a time
ex/ multi-tasking mom
studying AND watching tv
Relevant Information
assists in solving a problem or performing a task
ex/notes from class-exam
Salient Information
Info that stands out but may not be important ex/officer visits class discussing safety rules with balloons, child remembers balloons and forgets rules
Average attention spam of 5-6 year olds
7 minutes on single activity
planning
the ability to allocate attentional resources on the basis of goals that one wishes to achieve
Changes in attention in childhood and adolescence
- cognitive control attention improves during childhood and adolescence
- declines begin early childhood (use strategies to cope)
Aging and Attention
- older adults (50-80) may not be able to focus on relevant info as effectively as younger adults
- less adept at selective attention (music in stores- forever21 vs talbot)
- older adults performed worse in divided attention than younger
Attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
marked by inattention, impulsiveness, a low tolerance for frustration, and great deal of inappropriate activity
memory
retention of information over time
Basic Processes of Memory
encoding (getting information into memory)
storage (retaining information over time)
retrieval (taking information out of storage)
Automatization
degree to which an activity requires attention
(require little attention are automatic)
(require large attention are controlled)
Cognitive Architecture Approach (Atkinson and Shiffrin)
determines specific steps through which material is processed as it travels through the human mind
Cognitive Architecture: Three System Model
- Sensory Store
- short term memory
- long term memory
sensory stage
initial, momentary storage of information, lasting only an instant (loss of info within 1 second)
Short-term Memory
retention of information for up to 15-30 seconds (7 chunks***+ or - two items)
chunk
meaningful group of stimuli that can be stored as a unit in short term memory
ex/ letter,number, word, well known maxim
Working Memory (central executive)
temporary mental “workbench” More active and powerful than short-term memory
-individuals MANIPULATE and ASSEMBLE info when making decisions, solving problems and comprehending written and spoken language
Working Memory and Long Term Memory
WM interacts with LTM using information from LTM in its work and transmitting info to LTM for longer storage
Working Memory and Processing Speed
- performance peaked at 45, and declined at 57
- decline affected both new and old info
Working Memory linked to?
- reading and math achievement
- processing speed
Systems of Long Term Memory
- Explicit/declaritive (episodic and semantic)
- Implicit/Procedural
Implicit Memory (Procedural)
memory wihtout conscious recollection; memory of skills and routine procedures performed automatically
ex/ driving, laundry
Explicit Memory (Declaritive)
conscious memory of facts and experiences. Doesn’t appear until after 6 months
ex/ remembering the past
Semantic Memory (type of explicit)
person’s knowledge about world
- fields of expertise
- general academic/school knowledge
- “everyday knowledge”
Episodic Memory (type of explicit)
retention of information about where and when of life’s happens
ex/ When did you eat lunch? Remembering senior prom
Source Memory
ability to remember where one learned something
-failure in source memory increases with age in adult years
Prospective Memory
involves remembering to do something in the future
prospective memory and age-related declines
- TIME based tasks decline more (appointments)
- EVENT based tasks show less decline (birthdays)
Long Term Memory Strategies
- rehearsal- repetition
- organizing- trying to group related information (Chunking-JMU-568, SS#,ID)
- imagery- creating mental image (method of LOCI, demo)
- meaning- encode (taking from STM to LTM) meaning associated with what we already know; make personally meaningful
Forgetting (problem with…?)
- encoding (“journey” for “trip”)
- storage (may fade over time)
- retrieval
Dr. Rovee-Collier (memory in infants)
her research proved that even young infants can remember detailed actions and contexts
infantile amnesia
lack of memory for experiences that occurred prior to 3 years of age
Autobiographical Memory
memory of particular events from one’s life (doesnt achieve much accuracy until after 3)
Operating efficiency Hypothesis
people are able to remember material better with age b/c process info more quickly and use more effective strategies. NOT due to increases in size of working memory
script
general representations in memory of sequence or series of events (same activity repeated, remembered in script unless something unusual occurs)
metamemory
an understanding about the processes that underlie memory, which emerges and improves during middle childhood (study habits)
Aging and Memory
- younger adults have better episodic memory than older (where/when)
- older adults remember older events better than more recent (older the semantic memory, the less accurate)
- implicit memory less likely affected by aging than explicit memory
Influences of Memory of Older Adults
-physiological factors and health
-beliefs, expectations, and feelings
“if you think you can or cant…you are prob right”
-education (lifelong learners)
-memory training (crossword puzzles, cards, DS games,etc)
False Memories
it is possible(very easy) to lead young children to incorporate false suggestions
ex/ court cases, salem witch trials
-easy to lead adults into thinking they remember something
ex/first time we met pink sweater
Piaget vs. Info Processing
Info Processing is QUANTITATIVE change rather than qualitative, Piaget(sudden spurts) and info processing sees gradual step-by-step growth
Thinking
Manipulating and transforming in memory
How to Teach Reading?
code-based approach (taught by presenting basic skills that underlie reading, sounds and combinations/phonics)
-whole language approach (reading is natural process, exposure to complete writing-sentences,stories,lists,charts,poems, make guesses about words)
critical thinking
thinking reflectively and productively, and evaluating evident
encourage -openmindedness, intellectual curiosity, planning and strategy, intellectual carefulness
Thinking in Adulthood
- practical problem solving improves (expertise-extensive, highly organized knowledge and understanding of particular domain (specialization)
- Use it or lose it (practice helps cognitive skills)
- cognitive training (can help some if skills are being lost)
Openmindendness
“I DONT KNOW”
“cowboy up”
firmly commit to decision
“geek out”
- having creativity
- multiple possibilites
