technology and cognition

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

• digital technology refers to anything that is computerized.
  -many people use technology to help the meet demands of everyday life
• human contact with technology and the internet is more significant than ever, as immediate information is constantly at hand through smartphones and computers
• technology is being used as a remedial assistant and a cognitive facilitator to advance and aid the individual
• research indicates that prolonged exposure to these devices is not only changing the way we work and play, it is laso dramatically affecting our cognition

Question 2

positive effects

Answer 2

• positive effect on behaviour and productivity
• allows us to get more things done in one day than ever before
  -technology can improve cognitive processing and those skills can transfer to other area of our lives
• technology can improve recall and result in faster encoding of information
• virtual reality simulation: using computer simulators with the aim of training new cogitive skills (driving, flying and performing surgery)
  -encourage us to offload many cognitive functions onto technology, reducing our need to think, process and remember
• becoming soceity of ‘cognitive offloader’ no longer memorise improtant information we rmbr the location where we cam retrieve it
• frees up our cognitive resources to focus on other things
  -‘digital natives’ learning how to scan for information efficiently amd quickly: be more creative and to acess multiple sources of informatin, practically simultaneously

Question 3

negative effects

Answer 3

-effects our abilities and brain functioning
- easy acess to information resulting to shallow thinking
- constant connectivity limits our attention span and memory recall as we are constantly distracted by incoming information
- constant task-switching is detremental to attention and focus (while studying)
- our brains are losing thei facility for prolonged concnetration, such as required to read novels and other long-form writing
- key skills needed fo critical thinking and long-term learning are being replaced by a shallow engagemnet due to our split attention spans
- demands for their attention have increased and distraction has replaced consistent attention
- students switch their attention, the brain has to reorient itself to the new task further taxing neural resources
-bc of WMM limited capacity soem of the informatio of the first task is lost as new info from the second task moves in
- switching causes cognitive overload: condition where the flow of info exceeds the brain’s ability to process and store it
- students cannot gain a deep understanding of the new learning or translate it to conceptual knowledge
- cognitive offloading and no longer memorizing important info can be aseen as a form of mental laziness and technology is an excuse for our brain not do much mental work at all
- our brains are beocming accustomed to a constant overload of visual info _text, graphic videos). Learning to scan info and pick what appears important whilst disregarding the rest
- easier forgetting and shorter retention in a memory store. tendencey to forget info that is readily available through engines is the googl eeffect

Question 4

link to neuroplasticity

Answer 4

• techno has important implicatio n for neuroplasticity which is the reshaping of the brain to adapt to changines in teh environement
• done as it reorganizes its neural networkd and synapses in response to environmental stimuli