Information Processing Theory Essay Example
Information Processing Theory Essay Example

Information Processing Theory Essay Example

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  • Pages: 6 (1520 words)
  • Published: February 9, 2017
  • Type: Research Paper
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The information processing theory approach to the study of cognitive development evolved out of the American experimental tradition in psychology. Developmental psychologists who adopt the information-processing perspective account for mental development in terms of maturation changes in basic components of a child’s mind. The theory is based on the idea that humans process the information they receive, rather than merely responding to stimuli. This perspective equates the mind to a computer, which is responsible for analyzing information from the environment.

According to the standard information-processing model for mental development, the mind’s machinery includes attention mechanisms for bringing information in, working memory for actively manipulating information, and long term memory for passively holding information so that it can be used in the future. This theory addresses how as children grow, their brains likewise mature, leading to advances in their ability to process and respond to

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the information they received through their senses.

The theory emphasizes a continuous pattern of development, in contrast with Cognitive Developmental theorists such as Jean Piaget that thought development occurred in stages at a time. Cognitive processes include perception, recognition, imagining, remembering, thinking, judging, reasoning, problem solving, conceptualizing, planning and more terms and applications. These cognitive processes can emerge from human language, thought, imagery and symbols. Out of all of these specific cognitive processes, many cognitive psychologists study language-acquisition, altered states of mind and consciousness, visual perception, auditory perception, short-term memory, long-term memory, storage, retrieval, perceptions of thought and much more.

Factors Affecting Physical and Motor Development

Culture The core principles of physical development, such as learning muscle control, are universal. However, how fine and gros

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motor skills are utilized is variable to culture. For example, in the United States of America playing little league baseball is a common use of fine and gross motor skills while in other countries sports like soccer and rugby may be more common.

Environment

Access to both indoor and outdoor environments is an important part of physical development. Giving a child the opportunity to explore different environments allows the child to learn new fine and gross motor skills, like riding a bike and swimming.

Limitations

Physical limitations created by disabilities will have a hindering affect on physical development. Disabilities can delay or even prevent the development of certain fine and gross motor skills.

Other Factors

Other contributing factors to physical development include genetics, nutrition, coordination and perception. Perceiving distances accurately is important for safety. Aphasia Remembering that the aphasic child is not intellectually impaired and can become easily frustrated, disappointed or even angry at his or her failure to communicate, teachers must keep communication simple but adult. Simplify sentence structure and reduce the rate of speech, avoiding speaking for the aphasic student and encouraging all other modes of expression - writing, drawing, choices, gestures, yes/no responses. Encourage the aphasic student to be as independent as possible and avoid being overprotective.

Dyslexia "There are many strategies a teacher can implement in the classroom to help a Dyslexic student do well and understand the different skill sets such as spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic and understanding time. Most of these suggestions are beneficial for any student but especially important for Dyslexics."

  • Help right-brain learners (Dyslexics) understand their thinking and the

learning differences from left brain thinkers (big picture and concrete images versus abstracts such numbers, letters and words). They will understand they can be taught how to use their processing style to their advantage for success in school.

  • Help Dyslexic students discover their personal learning style (auditory, visual or kinesthetic) and teach them how to use their strongest sense to process information and perform new skills with greater understanding.
  • ADHD Finding the right spot The "good neighbor" Time limits and schedules Dealing with disorganization Controlling distractions Avoiding social problems. Memory has the ability to encode, store and recall information. Memories give an organism the capability to learn and adapt from previous experiences as well as build relationships. Encoding allows the perceived item of use or interest to be converted into a construct that can be stored within the brain and recalled later from short term or long term memory.

    Working memory stores information for immediate use or manipulation which is aided through hooking onto previously archived items already present in the long-term memory of an individual. Storage in human memory is one of three core process of memory, along with Recall and Encoding. It refers to the retention of information, which has been achieved through the encoding process, in the brain for a prolonged period of time until it is accessed through recall. Modern memory psychology differentiates the two distinct type of memory storage: short-term memory and long-term memory. In addition, different memory models have suggested variations of existing short-term and long-term memory to account for different ways of storing memory Recall in memory refers to the retrieval of events or

    information from the past. Along with encoding and storage, it is one of the three core processes of memory. There are three main types of recall: free recall, cued recall and serial recall. Psychologists test these forms of recall as a way to study the memory processes of humans and animals. Two main theories of the process of recall are the Two-Stage Theory and the theory of Encoding Specificity.

    The information-processing theory At a first glance, the gathering and storage of information may seem less efficient as a learning system compared to the behaviorist notion of associations between stimuli and responses. But learning through information gathering has an advantage: flexibility. For example, if your route to home is represented by a mental map of the city, not fixed series of responses, you can take an alternative route when traffic is bad. This is an effective behavior and depends on remembering information at the right time.

    The information processing approach has led to a model of memory which is based on a computer analogy. By the late 1960s Atkinson and Shiffrin [1] proposed the most influential model of memory (see figure 1). It was assumed that information came in from the environment, was processed by a series of temporary sensory memory systems (a part of the process of perception), and then fed into a limited capacity short-term store. This was assumed to act as a working memory. That is, a system for holding information and allowing it to be used to perform a wide range of cognitive tasks, including transfer into and retrieval from long-term memory. Language Development in Children

    Language development is

    the attainment of the verbal skills to be able to link the thoughts in a coherent fashion. This helps children to convey their intentions and maintain conversation, which are essential for their social interaction. Ability to communicate and development of language skills go hand in hand. Even though communicative capabilities in ones native language is believed to be a naturally acquired potential that a child is born with, but its development is a gradual process.

    Language development is incredibly complex. The function of normal language involves many areas of the brain through interconnected neural networks’ synchronization. Genetic factors also play a major role in a child’s language learning process. The process of learning language starts right from birth and continues well into teenage years. Learning to communicate follows a predictable pattern and parallels child’s general cognitive development.

    Building Children's Communicative Ability Language-rich environment helps children to be able to draw on their inborn potential to communicate. Here are some ideas for how you can introduce fun in the family (opens new window) and see your child’s verbal skills and other facets of development bloom.

    Responsive adults who hold a conversation directly with children encourage them to use their newly learnt vocabulary and comprehend their thoughts effectively. Language modification is often needed to communicate effectively in different situations, for example- children talk differently about their studies to their parents, friends and teachers. Body language such as posture, eye contact and gestures when used appropriately also plays a major role in social communication. Nonverbal skills like pragmatical and behavioural skills are also needed to facilitate the exchange of ideas. Physical factors that affect language

    development.

    An infant’s ability to hear, see, comprehend, and remember are crucial for the normal language and speech development. Equally important is development of the motor skills to cope up with the oral movements to generate speech. Incidence of language and text comprehension difficulties.

    The world wide incidence of language and text comprehension difficulties range from 15-20%. Many well known personalities with high intellectuals like Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, George Washington, Winston Churchill and others have had language development related disorders. The incidence of clinical speech and language disorders in boys is noted to be twice as high as that in the girls. About 8% of the preschool children present with some difficulties of language skills. Nearly 20% children at 2 years of age are considered for evaluation of delayed onset of speech and by 5 years of age 19% of children are identified to have a speech and/or language disorder. Incidence of different types of language impairments.

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