2.10: Information Processing Theory
- Page ID
- 180190
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Information Processing theory focuses on cognition just as Piaget and Vygotsky do. However, it is not the work of a single theorist, but based on the ideas and research of several cognitive scientists studying how individuals perceive, analyze, manipulate, use, and remember information. This approach assumes that humans gradually improve in their processing skills; that is, cognitive development is continuous rather than stage-like. The more complex mental skills of adults are built from the primitive abilities of children. We are born with the ability to notice stimuli, store, and retrieve information. Brain maturation enables advancements in our information processing system, particularly in quantity rather than quality. At the same time, interactions with the environment also aid in our development of more effective strategies for processing information.
Main Points about Information Processing
- Information processing theorists critique Piaget’s stage/qualitative theory by emphasizing that development is quantitative in nature
- They compare human thinking to computer models and simulations
- They have done a lot of lab research with children
Attributions:
Child Growth and Development by Jennifer Paris, Antoinette Ricardo, and Dawn Rymond, 2019, is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective by Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 (modified by Jennifer Paris)