lecture 7- information processing theories

Question 1

piaget-advances in the field

Answer 1

-Piaget was an early pioneer of child development research
-his models and theories encouraged further research into child development
eg biallergeon’s voe experiment

Question 2

the field of cognitive development was influenced by

Answer 2

-piagets early theories about development occuring in stages
-rise in research on adult cognition
-developments in technology (the metaphor of the computer)

Question 3

cognitive developmental psychology has many ______
-name a key one

Answer 3

models
-information processing model

Question 4

information processing model
slater (1988) what did he describe it as

Answer 4

-a framework of how humans think,reason and learn, view human cognitive functioning as analogous to the operation of a computer (so reason like a computer)

Question 5

information processing model
explain how mental processes are similar to computers

Answer 5

input info — to perform operations— and then outputs a function

Question 6

computer as analogies for human cognition
-space
-speed
-hardware

Answer 6

space- both are limited in the amount of info that can be simultaneously processed
speed-both are limited in how quickly information can be processed
hardware - both rely on the functioning of physical hardware

Question 7

what are information processing psychologists interested in

Answer 7

how the processing systems operate in real time
* E.g.
,* What mental processes is a child engaging in?
* How does the child transform, manipulate, or use information?
* How does processing change across development?
* What are the constraints to developmental changes?

Question 8

assumptions of information processing

Answer 8

-mental activity is continuous
-mental activity takes time

Question 9

longer time between input to output indicates

Answer 9

-greater mental activity needed
-slower processing of information

Question 10

information processing model - methodology
-task based experimentation

Answer 10

What tasks?
-Researcher must identify goals, environmental obstacles, and processing strategies for a problem
* Researcher must carefully design stimuli to isolate the specific cognitive operation

Question 11

reliance on temporal variables

Answer 11

how long it takes a child to respond —–> insight into processing speed

Question 12

how to measure ‘processing’
-methodology

Answer 12

-eye movement analysis
-error analysis method
-microgenetic method

Question 13

eye movement analysis

Answer 13

-child is presented with a stimuli
-use of eye movements (location, length of time , etc) to provide insights into processing
-use of eye tracking technology is a helpful advancement

Question 14

error analysis method

Answer 14

-child is presented with balance scale, there are weights on each side

important details
are
-how many weights
-distance from centre
-the child predicts which side will go down. the childs answer provides insight into how the problem solving develops
siegler (1978)

Question 15

microgenetic method

Answer 15

-child represented with a large number of trials of the same task
-presented over weeks/months
-reveals moment to moment changes in child’s cognitive performance
siegler 2006

Question 16

what does the information processing model say about children’s cognitive growth

Answer 16

-children’s cognitive growth occurs constantly
this contrasts to piagets ideas

Question 17

computer comparison-what do computer say about cognitive growth /development in information processing

Answer 17

development in information processing is limited by hardware and software
hardware - memory capacity, efficiency of thought processes
software- useful strategies and knowledge

Question 18

how does cognitive development arise through gradually overcoming processing limitations

Answer 18

1) expansion of amount of information processed at one time
2) increasingly efficient execution of basic processes
3) acquisition of new strategies and knowledge

Question 19

how does sensory memory, working memory and long term memory differ?

Answer 19

differ in retention, duration, mount of stored information, underlying neural mechanisms and developmental pattern

Sensory memory: Capacity of sensory memory is relatively constant

• Working memory: Basic organization of working memory subsystems constant from early childhood; capacity and processing speed increase greatly over childhood and adolescence
• Long-term memory: develops quickly and steadily, followed by a plateau in older children and during adolescence

Question 20

frequently used basic processes
-how can these help with memory
-which process is especially relevant

Answer 20

-simplest and most frequently used mental activities include : encoding, association, recognition, recall, generalisation

-with development more efficiently executed; enhances memory and learning

-encoding is especially relevant
-only encoded information can be remembered

Question 21

the development of memory : encoding

Answer 21

-with development more efficiently executed; enhances memory and learning

Question 22

can we figure out what children encode (what they encode will tell us what they remember)

Answer 22

5 year olds struggle with the error analysis method - they struglle to take weight as well as distance into account
-in this case children aren’t encoding distance but they are encoding weight

Question 23

how does processing speed differ through ages

Answer 23

-increases most rapidly at young ages , but continues to increase through adolescence

Question 24

processing speed
-when did they start to track processing speed/how
-how does processing speed influence memory

Answer 24

-in late 1980s , 1990s.
- (in the slides )Kail (1991) graphed performance of processing speed, along 4 different types of mental abilities (mental rotation, memory search, visual search , name retrieval

-converging evidence that significant increases in information processing speed lead to developmental changes in memory

Question 25

acquisition and growth of strategies (in helping development of memory)
-when do strategies often emerge
-examples of this

Answer 25

many emerge between 5 and 8 years of age
- eg rehearsal , selective attention

Question 26

content knowledge ( in development of memory)
-how does knowledge increase

Answer 26

-with age and experience, knowledge increases
-improves recall of new material by making it easier to integrate with existing understanding by

Question 27

how does improved knowledge content help in the development of memory

Answer 27

-improves recall of new material by making it easier to integrate with existing understanding by….
-improved encoding
-providing useful associations
-indicating what is possible and what is not

Question 28

the development of memory - knowledge
expert novice paradigm

Answer 28

-where they compare children and adults who play chess and who don’t play chess
-expert is someone who plays tons and tons of chess and novice is new

-they had children and adults look at a board of pieces
-and test how much they can remember about the board- can they remember spatially where each piece went- and does it matter how much experience they have

Question 28

expert novice paradigm
results
explanation

Answer 28

-it does matter how much experience they have
-child experts perform similar to adult experts
-child experts outperform adult novices

-chess experts encode higher level chunks of information that include the positions of several pieces in relation to each other rather than encoding the information for each piece separately

Question 29

shape of development
piaget vs siegler opinion on mechanisms of change

Answer 29

piaget
development is a series of steps with brief periods of transition between each step

siegler
-development is constant like overlapping waves

graphs of both in slides

Question 30

mechanisms of change
-the overlapping waves model

Answer 30

-in the overlapping waves model children use a variety of strategies to solve a problem
- the transition between new strategies from old strategies reflects flexibility in cognition

-children change strategies over time , going up and down (look at the slides)

Question 31

overlapping waves model
-describe how strategies change in a person overtime

Answer 31

Young children usually use the simplest strategy (strategy1), but sometimes they use 2 or 4

• With age and experience, better strategies become more prevalent
• New strategies are generated and used increasingly if more effective than previous ones
• Children continue to use old strategies as they practice new strategies

-this is an experimentation process, it doesn’t happen in stages as Piaget suggests , it happens gradually with crossovers

Question 32

evidence for the overlapping waves model
study by siegler et al using microgenetic method
-describe whats being tested
-describe the study
-the results

Answer 32

-tested the same children repeatedly over short period of time, when change in performance is occurring
(presenting the same problem over and over again to see when children use a particular strategy and how/ when they switch , and how quickly that happens)
-allows examination of strategy acquisition on trial by trial basis

-did this study in 6 sessions with 4-5 year olds
-used addition problems
-4 main strategies : counting aloud using fingers, counting on fingers, counting out loud, retrieving answers from memory

-only 20% consistently used one strategy
-when given the exact same problem twice , 30% used a new strategy, so some sort of memory of what strategy they used and how effective it was

Question 33

the overlapping waves model
-implications (readiness for change)

Answer 33

-when children are learning to solve a task , they have a range of different strategies available
- variability in strategies provides a ‘readiness’ to learn from new experiences

Question 34

shape of development -
-piaget and rules
-kail
-siegler
summary

Answer 34

-piaget said it was in stages
-kail had continuous development
-Siegler had these overlapping waves

Question 35

piaget vs information processing models
COMPARE each model
-what develops
-continuity vs discontinuity
-mechanism

Answer 35

what develops
piaget - logical structures
kail - processing capacity
siegler - rules and strategy

continuity vs discontinuity
piaget - shifts (stages)
kail - smooth lines - continuous
siegler - overlapping lines

mechanism
piaget - adaptation
kail - maturation
siegler - evolution

Question 36

evaluation of the theory

Answer 36

-ability to express complexity of thought
-analysis of performance and change
-methodology is really important in determining how skills are developed and at what age

limitations
-shortcomings of models and models and metaphors
-problems adressing certain developmental issues
-neglect of context