Information Processing - Assumptions

Information Processing - Assumptions

1. Humans have limited capacity to process information

   • Depending on individual
   • Cognitive Development helps us deal with this
     • Creates strategies
     • Allows us to consider new info

2. Processing Capacity

   • Amount of info a person can remember/think about
     • Increases from 2 - adulthood

3. Processing Efficiency

   • Does capacity increase or become more efficient?
     • Capacity does not increase
       • Shown in 1985 case
   • Faster processing
     • = more storage space
       • operating space - smaller
       • Cook & Cook
       • remember more information
   • Extensive Experience
     • domain specific
     • Age related developments not down to experience
       • domain general
         • due to maturation

4. Attentional Allocation

   • Older children are better
     • faster at IP
     • can use several strategies at once
   • focusing on certain aspects - ignoring others
   • Attentional selectivity
     • ability to pick out correct stimulus to focus on
       • inability to control attention leads to ADHD

5. Automaticity

   • perform a skill with little or no conscious effort
     • free up cognitive capacity