Cognitive theories are part of psychology that analyze human thought processes to gain a deeper understanding of their dynamics in personal behavior. The primary assumption inherent in various cognitive theories is that the thought process is one of the most significant determinant of personal behavior and traits. While some theories explicitly explain individual variabilities, others focus on universal characteristics. The most important cognitive theory that impacts memory is Information Processing Theory.
Information Processing Theory is a fundamental cognitive model that likens the way computers process information to the human memory. The theory categorizes information processing by the memory into three major sets, sensory, working memory, and long-term memory. The sensory memory is short-lived and is mainly influenced by occurrences related to different senses ( Barsalou, 2014) . Information in this category has to be given attention; hence, information acquisition or processing is not diverse because it is impossible to give attention to multiple occurrences in an individual’s environment. Due to this aspect, one focuses on what they deem essential. Memory is therefore impacted here in that it is given a choice to focus on what is considered relevant ( Zeglen et al., 2018). This is the filtering of information. The working memory is where information is filtered further. One’s memory is significantly impacted here by their cognitive capacity and the information processed at a given time. Again, one’s memory retains information that it deems necessary and important in the future.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Information from the working memory that is perceived as important is passed to the next form of memory, long term memory. The impact of Information processing theory is prevalent here in terms of how the ability of a computer to process and store an innumerable amount of data can be likened to the limitless nature of long term memory in information analysis and storage. The most critical element that ensures the retention of information is the encoding and retrieval process. The selective process of organization of information based on how it is received and how it is significant is also relevant here ( Zeglen et al., 2018). Although the theory impacts memory by likening it to a computer, this metaphor does not extensively suit its context because depending on the ease of retrieval of information and its organization in the long term memory, one can remember particular things. On the other hand, computers are highly smart gadgets, and depending on how various systems are made, retrieval of information is guaranteed.
The field of cognitive psychology uses scientific research in undertaking an in-depth analysis of the various elements of cognitive theories. Through data collection and analysis, psychologists can validate different claims put forward in cognitive theories. Besides the above, as a revolution in technology and advancement in research methodologies continue to be witnessed, scientific methods become central undertakings that inform various conclusions in cognitive theories. Most scientists choose different hypotheses that they can carry research on to either validate their assumptions or reject them ( Barsalou, 2014) . Oftentimes, there are different variables researched to ascertain whether there is a correlation between them. Scientific research is also used as a discovery tool by different cognitive theorists. When significant criticism about particular theory mounts, theorists use scientific approaches to prove their assertions. They also use different research approaches to make new discoveries in their field. Such compelling evidence is mostly used to extend the propositions by a given model. Most importantly, because scientific research is a proven way of validating particular prepositions, it comes in handy in guiding the formulation of standards and laws that guide different principles inherent in the field of cognitive psychology. Since scientific research approaches must be replicable, falsifiable, precise, and parsimonious, these criteria can inform standards that guide cognitive theories’ acceptability in society or even in different spaces such as learning institutions.
References
Barsalou, L. W. (2014). Cognitive psychology: An overview for cognitive scientists.
Zeglen, E., & Rosendale, J. (2018). Increasing Online Information Retention: Analyzing the Effects. Journal of Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning , 22 (1), 22-33.
