What is Information Processing Theory?

Information processing theory is all about the mechanism via which the process of learning takes place. Particularly it concentrates on the various aspects of the retrieval and memory encoding. The main fundamental idea of this theory I that the human mind is just like a computer or the data processor, instead of the behavioural ideas that people hardly revert to the stimuli. Attempts to simulate human behaviours and skills such as cognitive mapping, multi tasking, developing conceptual framework are in place for a long time now.

Comparison Of Human Brain With Computers

These theories are linked to the mechanism of the computer and data processing. In this mechanism, we give the machine input, and then it processes on it and then gives the needed output. The data that is collected from the input is saved and then process the same using the brain. After this is done it finally results in a natural revert. This Information Processing Theory has grown and developed over the period of time. Most remarkable in the commencement of information processing theory is stage theory. Doing a presentation of a sequential method is involved in this theory. Though powerful, the lining of this theory reduced the complex nature of the brain of a human and many theories were spread to check the essential processes.

Study of phycology has influenced and given rise to various theories like learning theory, sensory memory, working memory, social learning theory. Also with emergence of fields such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, active learning and transformative learning , there is an increased interest in these fields and the various associated theories. Various attempts have been made to understand human brain better and compare it to computers. Integrating the brain with computers has also been attempted at various scale.

Information Processing

Related: Importance of Data ProcessingData Presentation and Analysis

Line Of Thought

As per the line of thought, ‘level of processing’ model is issued by Craik and Lockhart.  They concentrate the data extended upon in several manners. This makes an effect on the ability to get the data after some time. The level at which the data was explained will make an impact on how nicely the information is interpreted. This idea was further broadened by Bransford and he added the same data in such a way that it can be tracked down easily. The further key development in this theory is Rumelhart and McClelland’s connectionist model that is funded by the neuroscience research. It also says that the data that is saved in a parallel way in various brain sections and linked as the network.  The matter of the connections in a single section of data will make a difference to the smoothness of the retrieval.

Approach towards Information Processing Theory

The approach of the information processing theory at the study of perceptive development has come out with the American tradition of experiments in psychology. Developmental psychologists who take up the information-processing perspective account for the development of mind in terms of the maturity changes in basic factors in mind of a kid. This theory is on the basis of the idea that the human does a process on the data that they get from some of the sources and they do not randomly revert. This idea parallels the mind to a computer and that is responsible for investigating information from the settings. As per the general model of information processing, the machine of the mind covers attention theory in order to get in the needed data.

The Learning Process- Cognitive Aspect

This theory is related to the growth of the kids. It also talks about the development of their brain and maturity. The theory also talks about the advancement of the capacity to process and revert to the data they have gathered from different sources. The theory focuses on a regular development pattern, in connection with the Cognitive Developmental theorists. The information processing theory as a model for the thinking process of a human learning and thinking is a section of a resurrection of a cognitive angel of learning. Social learning theory and learning environment also adds upon how kids learn and grow.

Related: Data VisualizationData Mapping, Importance of Information Processing Theory

Mental Situations

The cognitive angel standpoints say that complex mental situations make an impact in the human and nature and behaviors that such mental circumstances can be checked from a scientific angle. The computers that process the data cover internal stages that make some effect on the processing. Therefore the computers gave a model for the likely human mental states that gave the research persons with direction and ideas for understanding the human learning and thinking process. As whole information processing theory models also aided to reconstruct the mental processes that can really be directly checked as the sincere zone of the sciences research.

Comparative Study

As far as this model is concerned, there is a comparative study done between the human and computers. This comparison is being used as a toll for a good understanding of the way the data is processed and saved in mind of a human. So when checking what really grows in this model, the more particular comparison is done between the brain of the human and the computers. The computers were basically invented to do the study of grown and they gave a new way of analyzing the intelligence. Working memory, knowledgebase, datasets, parallel processing, concept map are some of the aspects and limitations when training computers.

Encoding And Other Aspects

The human brain is often compared with the computers. The processing of both of these is almost the same. The data is first taken inside. This is called as input. Then the information is encoded and it gets its meaning. Then the processing is done and then the saved information is checked. If a person is doing some task then this is the place where the memory is endorsed. You can take an instance of the CPU of the computer. Human brain or the computer, in both the cases, there is an encoding of the information. Then they will give good meaning to the information that is gathered.  Then the data will be blended with the previous information so that the task will be enacted. The next step is where the information is saved. Then from this place later it can be released as per the requirement. As far as the computers are concerned, this is like saving and storing the data on a hard drive, where you can then upload the data that is saved, and then you can head to the further task. This can be done using your memory.

Related: Root Cause Analysis as a problem solving technique

Cognitive Process

A cognitive process covers the insight, understanding, thinking, remembering, reasoning and many more aspects. This can come out from a human thought or language.  Just like these particular cognitive processes, there are many cognitive psychologists that research about the language learning, changed the state of mind, visual insight, short-term memory, storage of the memory and many more such related things.

Processing Info

Information Processing Theory- Effects

The information processing theory senses human as actively releasing, inputting and saving the information. There are some impacts in the processing those are easily observed. The people distinctively change as per the cognitive capacities. Humans have a very good memory span so does the computer. The human cognitive systems work similarly depending on a set of memory shops that save the data and have a control over the process. There is also a nurture component that gives for the information input that is being processed and that results in the nature and the process of learning. There are many changes in the contents of the memory store that is on a long-term basis. The previous knowledge makes an effect on the next processing and thus then impacts the future nature and process of learning.

A human brain is much similar to that of computers and hence this comparison is often done. Information processing theory is all about this comparison. This will study the growth and mental ability of a human mind.

Also Read: Information Processing Cycle

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