Information Processing: this short article explains Information Processing in a practical way. Next to what it is (definition), this article also highlights the hardware and software in human thinking, what the four basic assumptions are, why these assumptions are essential, and how this relates to other models and theories. Enjoy reading!
Information Processing: this short article explains Information Processing in a practical way. Next to what it is (definition), this article also highlights the hardware and software in human thinking, what the four basic assumptions are, why these assumptions are essential, and how this relates to other models and theories. Enjoy reading!
Information processing can be defined as an approach in cognitive psychology. It aims to assist in understanding human thinking. To do this, human thinking is related to the way computers process information.
It is also a term used to describe the way in which computers handle information. The comparison between the human mind and brain versus a computer is aimed at creating a better understanding of our ways of thinking.
Within the field of cognitive psychology, the focus of study is often the way in which humans process information. An individual human being can be viewed as a processor of information. This is also a possible view of computers. Both human thinking and computers are viewed as information processors in this concept.
A view of a computer is applied to human thinking. This way, humans are also seen to have hardware and software to process information with. In this sense, software is the human mind, while the hardware is the brain.
This science in cognitive psychology is based on four assumptions. These assumptions establish a framework for research of human thinking.
The combination of software and hardware enables a computer to follow a set program to process information. A good example is backtesting software. By viewing the human mind and brain as software and hardware respectively, one can try to identify the program human thinking employs to process information. This is based on the assumption that the information that the human mind encounters is processed by several processing systems.
Cognitive psychology employs information processing to understand the underlying processes and systems which enable humans to process information.
The processing systems researched in this form of processing are usually represented in several stages or boxes. Several models depict boxes with processes, which are connected by arrows depicting development or interaction. This helps researchers map the identified processes as they process information from a stimulus into a response.
When a stimulus is encountered, input processes analyse the stimuli first. The next processing system entails the storage processes. In this stage, information is altered or filtered. This is where selective attention comes into play.
In human thinking, it is possible to focus attention on one stimulus among many stimuli that humans are confronted with. This is called selective attention.
Storage systems also help in committing certain information to long-term or short-term memory. After storage, output processes generate a response to the stimuli.
Several models and theories elaborate on this linear and singular way of processing information. Additionally, researchers can focus on a specific stage of processing. For example, the Multi Store Model by Atkinson and Shiffrin delves deeper in the storage of information. Here, they provide a clear overview of the processes required for information to travel between certain types of memory.
