Test 1, Human Info Processing Flashcards
Human Information Processing
Characterizes the human as a communication system that receives input from the environment, acts on that input, and then outputs a response back to the environment
This is used to develop models that describe the flow of information in the human
Perceptual Stage
Processes that operate from the stimulation of the sensory organs
Some can occur without the person aware of the processes involved in detection, discrimination, and identification
Ex. Visual display produces or reflects patterns of light energy that are absorbed by the eye but we only see the picture
The ability to extract information from the stimulus depends on the quality of the sensory input
Cognitive Stage
Identifies or classifies the stimulus
Begins to operate to determine an appropriate response
May include retrieval of information from memory, comparison of displayed items, comparison of items and memory, arithmetic operations, and decision-making
Cognitive limitations (amount of cognitive resources) can cause human error
Action Stage
An overt response (if required) is selected, programmed, and executed
First, it chooses the most appropriate response
Then the response is translated into a set of neuromuscular commands
Then the commands are executed
Sensory memory
acts as a buffer for stimuli received through the senses and is constantly being overwritten by new information
A sensory memory exists for each sensory channel:
Iconic memory for visual stimuli
Echoic memory for auditory stimuli
Haptic memory for touch
Information is passed from sensory memory into working memory by attention
Working memory (WM)
is a temporary memory system that you use in order to help you do other complicated cognitive tasks
WM is fragile and contents must be maintained
get distracted by something and the contents of your WM are lost
Rehearsal can help maintain the contents of working memory (at least until you stop rehearsing)
Components:
Phonological loop stores the sound of language
Visuo-spatial sketchpad stores visual and spatial information
Data-Limited Processing
The information input to a stage is degraded or imperfect
Ex. A visual stimulus is only briefly flashed or speech signals are presented in a noisy environment
Resource-Limited Processing
The system is not powerful enough to perform the operations required for a task efficiently
Ex. Memory resources required to remember a long-distance phone number until it is dialed
Structurally Limited Processing
Inability of one system to perform several operations at once
Ex. When two competing movements must be performed simultaneously with the same limb
Detectability:
the absolute limits of the sensory systems to provide information that a stimulus is present
Discriminability:
the ability to determine that two stimuli differ from each other
Psychophysical Scaling:
discovering the relation between perceived magnitude and physical magnitude
Method of Constant Stimuli
Developed by Fechner
Present different stimuli intensities in a random order instead of sequential like the Method of Limits
Absolute threshold: Just use one stimuli that changes intensity at random increments
Difference threshold: Use a constant and a stimuli that changes intensity at random increments
Direct Scaling Procedures
Ask the perceiver rate the perceived intensity of the stimuli
Indirect Scaling Procedures
Derive the quantitative scale indirectly from a perceiver’s performance at discriminating stimuli
Ex. Instead of asking the listener to judge loudness, we’d ask them the discriminate different intensities
