Information_Processing_Theory

Information Processing By Dawn Sardone Everything we experience in life goes through some type of information processing. Our brains are constantly processing information. Everything we see, hear, and smell is filtered through our brains. Whether or not we remember these things through time is determined by how far the information gets processed. There are different ideas regarding how our brain processes information; however, the core information processing theory remains relatively the same. Information has to cycle through different areas of the brain before it can be stored long term. The brain uses the information processing theory as a method of taking raw information we take in from touch, sight, taste, etc, and turning it into something more meaningful. The information processing theory includes sensory register, working memory, and then long-term memory. The first stage in the information processing theory is sensory register. This refers to the intake of information. This is the part where we take in information through all of our senses. During this initial stage the information is raw, meaning we have not processed the information enough to understand it yet. Information is held in this stage for only a few seconds at most. It is held just long enough to determine if it should be processed into the working memory or discarded. In order for information to move from the sensory register stage to the next stage the information has to be thought about. The attention a person pays to this information is critical to move it through the information processing model. If you are not paying attention to something you touch, or hear in the background, chances are high that you will not move this information to the next stage of processing. However, if I am intently paying attention to a person that is speaking to me, or an object I am touching, then that information will move to the working memory. Working memory is the mechanism in which we begin to actually work through the information we take in. Our brain is processing the information. As we try to make sense of information we have taken in, or we are trying to solve a problem, we are using the working memory. This is the area that most of our thinking occurs in. This is also commonly referred to as short-term memory as information is typically stored in at this stage for 20-30 seconds, unless we continue to actively think about it. The storage capacity of working memory is limited; it can only hold small amounts of information at one time. It is thought that the storage capacity increases as a child grows. As the brain matures the speed of processing information increases, thus allowing a person to move from one thought to another quicker. In depth processing of information is necessary for information to be stored into long-term memory. This can come in the form of repetition. Constantly having the same experiences allows us to commit things to long-term memory. Also an experience that has enough significance for us to repeatedly think about it allows information to be stored into long-term memory. Long-term memory is where we store information for long periods of time. We are able to recall the information when needed and move it into working memory where we can process it again. An example of this could be making a favorite recipe. If you have made the recipe repeatedly chances are you will remember the recipe; when it comes time to make the food you will bring that recipe from long-term memory into the working memory so you can recall the steps. As a child these skills will grow until they are fully developed. A baby will react to stimulus like a new toy. This is part of information processing. The child is trying to understand this new experience which peaks their interest in the object. As they get use to seeing the same object they lose interest in the object and their mind goes to something new to process. Through the infancy stage it is about taking in the new world and trying to understand the world around them. Infants are also capable of holding long-term memories. A child will know their mothers voice within a matter of three days. As a child grows they have an increased ability to pay attention to something for longer periods of time. A preschooler for instance may only spend a few minutes on one activity before moving to a new activity. Long-term memory is something that we always possess. While I was pregnant with my son I listened to a certain music album repeatedly. After my son was born whenever I would put the same music on it would instantly calm him. It became a tool I used to settle him and help him sleep. This shows that a child can store information even before they are born. However, they cannot commit everything to long-term memory. It seems that within long-term memory there are different categories, one being semantic one being episodic memory. Semantic memory is the ability to remember language, faces, and voices. Episodic memory is the ability to remember actual events that happen. It is suggested that this memory does not develop until around 3 years of age; prior to that a child does not reliably recall past events. The working memory increases in capacity and processing speeds with age. A preschooler may need to count objects to answer a simple equation vs. an early adolescent who can answer the question immediately by recalling the information they have learned already. How efficient a person becomes with working memory is a product of both heredity and environment. Heredity provides the genes that give a person different skills; however, environment works to develop these skills within a person. Understanding the way information is processed can allow us to better assist a child during development. If we know that having a child’s attention will batter allow them to process information e are exposing them to we may then eliminate distractions. Playing games that work with a child’s memory will help build capacity as well. Regardless of what genes we are born with, the experiences we are exposed to will determine whether we learn to develop our predisposed skills or not. References Long term memory. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://education.calumet.purdue.edu/vockell/edPsybook/Edpsy6/edpsy6_long.htm Huitt, W. (2003). The information processing approach to cognition. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date] from, http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/infoproc.html McDevitt, T.M., & Ormrod, J.E. (2004). Child Development: Educating and working with Children and Adolescents (2nd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.