CH 6.2: Information Processing Flashcards
what does the info processing theory compare human cognition to?
computer hardware and software
3 components of mental hardware
sensory memory, working memory and long-term memory
sensory memory
unanalyzed info only held for a few seconds
working memory
active and cognitive manipulation of info
long-term memory
permanent storage of info
which memory is known to have some facts that are hard to access?
long-term
procedural memory
remembering how to do things
semantic memory
memory of facts
episodic memory
memory for an individual’s unique events experienced
some basic mental tasks that mental software refers to
reading, doing math, finding one’s way to school
steps of mental software
- understand question
- search memory for list (of previously accomplished similar tasks)
- compare question with list
- respond
neo-Piagetian approach
movement from one of Piaget’s stages to another was due to advancements in info processing skills
habituation vs dishabituation
habituation: as the stimulus becomes more familiar to us, we respond to it less
dishabituation: becoming actively aware of the stimulus again
orienting response
a physical reaction to a strong/unfamiliar stimulus
how is orienting useful to infants?
it makes them aware of potentially dangerous events
infants who are more efficient at processing information tend to have higher what throughout early childhood?
executive function
classical conditioning
a previously neutral stimulus elicits a response that was originally produced by an unconditioned reinforcer
operant conditioning
how consequences affect whether or not the preceding behavior will continue to occur
4 ways that children learn
habituation, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, imitation
3 important features of a 2-3mo old’s memory
- past event is remembered
- over time, event can no longer be recalled
- a cue can recall the supposed forgotten memory
phenomenon of humans not remembering much from when they were under 3-4yrs old
infantile amnesia
possible explanations of infantile amnesia
-we rely on language to represent our past
-a sense of self (achieved around 3yrs old) serves as the basis for organizing the events in our life
what did babies do that signified they can distinguish between objects based on number?
after becoming habituated to pictures of 2 objects they stared longer at a new picture of 3 objects
egocentric frame of reference (Piaget)
infants think of the position of objects exclusively in terms of its position relative to themselves (infant’s understanding early on of env. is limited)
