LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT 7 A Topical Approach to LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT Information Processing John W. Santrock

Information Processing The Information Processing Approach Attention Memory Thinking Metacognition

What Is the Information-Processing Approach? Analyzes the ways people process information about their world Manipulate information Monitor it Create strategies to deal with it Effectiveness involves attention, memory, thinking

Computers and Human Information Processing The Information-Processing Approach Computers and Human Information Processing Fig. 7.1

Simplified Model of Information Processing The Information-Processing Approach Simplified Model of Information Processing Fig. 7.2

Mechanisms of Change Encoding Automaticity Strategy Construction The Information-Processing Approach Mechanisms of Change Encoding Automaticity Strategy Construction Mechanism by which information gets into memory Ability to process information with little or no effort Discovering new procedure for processing information Metacognition Cognition about cognition, or “knowing about knowing”

Comparisons With Piaget’s Theory The Information-Processing Approach Comparisons With Piaget’s Theory Piaget Constructivist Cognitive capabilities and limits at points in development Development occurs abruptly in distinct stages Information Processing Constructivist Cognitive capabilities and limits at points in development Individuals develop gradually increasing capacity for information-processing

Speed of Processing Information The Information-Processing Approach Speed of Processing Information Assessed using reaction time tasks Changes in speed processing Improves dramatically through childhood and adolescence Changes due to myelination or experience? Decline begins in middle adulthood; continues into late adulthood

The Relation of Age to Reaction Time The Information-Processing Approach The Relation of Age to Reaction Time Fig. 7.3

Does Processing Speed Matter? Linked with competence in thinking For many everyday tasks, speed is unimportant Efficient strategies can compensate for slower reaction times and speed Processing linked to accumulated knowledge and abilities to perform

What Is Attention? Focusing of mental resources Three ways attention can be allocated Sustained attention Selective attention Divided attention

Concentrating on more than one activity at a time Attention Types of Attention Sustained Attention Selective Attention Ability to maintain attention to selected stimulus over prolonged period; also called vigilance Focusing on specific aspect of experience that is relevant while ignoring others Divided Attention Concentrating on more than one activity at a time

Infancy Newborns can detect contours and fixate Attention Infancy Newborns can detect contours and fixate 4-month-olds have selective attention Processes closely linked to attention Habituation: decreased responsiveness to stimulus after repeated presentations Dishabituation: recovery of a habituated response after change in stimulation

Attention Infancy Joint attention: individuals focus on same object or event and requires Ability to track another’s behavior One person directing another’s attention Reciprocal interaction Begins in 7-to-8 month old infants

Childhood and Adolescence Attention Childhood and Adolescence Most research on selective attention Control over attention shows changes Preschooler attends to external salient stimuli Child of 6 to 7 attentive to relevant information Ability to shift attention increases with age; allows for more complex task involvement

Attention Adulthood Older adults may not be able to focus on relevant information as effectively as younger adults Less adept at selective attention Older adults (50-80) performed worse in the divided attention condition than two younger groups; affected by vision and environmental distractions

What Is Memory? Retention of information over time Allows humans to span time in reflection over life’s activities Memory has imperfections

Memory Processes of Memory Fig. 7.5

Constructing Memories Memory Constructing Memories Schema theory Many reasons why memories are inaccurate People construct and reconstruct memories; mold to fit information already existing in mind Schemas: mental frameworks that organize concepts and information; affects encoding and retrieval

Memory False Memories New information such as questions or suggestions can alter memories Concerns about Implanting false memories in eyewitnesses Accuracy of eyewitness testimonies at trials Culture and gender linked to memory

Infancy First Memories Memory Infancy First Memories Rovee-Collier infant memory experiments Implicit memory: memory without conscious recollection; skills and routine done automatically Explicit memory: conscious memory of facts and experiences; doesn’t appear until after 6 months

Infancy Infantile Amnesia Memory Infancy Infantile Amnesia Adults recall little or none of first three years Also called childhood amnesia Due to immaturity of prefrontal lobes in brain; play important role in memory of events

Childhood Memory Considerable improvement after infancy Short-term memory — memory span for up to 15 to 30 seconds without rehearsal Working memory — kind of mental workbench for manipulating and assembling information Make decisions, solve problems Comprehend written and spoken language

Memory Childhood Memory Long-term memory — relatively permanent and unlimited type of memory Children as eyewitnesses Age differences in susceptibility Individual differences in susceptibility Interviewing techniques can cause distortions; determines if child’s testimony is accurate

Memory Working Memory Model Fig. 7.9

Long-Term Memory Strategies Activities to improve information processing Rehearsal — repetition better for short-term Organizing — making information relevant Imagery — creating mental images Elaboration — engaging in more extensive processing of information

Imagery and Memory of Verbal Information Fig. 7.10

Memory Fuzzy Trace Theory Memory best understood by considering two types of memory Verbatim memory trace: precise details Gist: central idea of information Knowledge Influences what people notice and how they organize, represent, interpret information

Working Memory and Processing Speed Working memory performance peaked at 45 years of age; declined at 57 years of age Decline affected both new and old information Working memory linked to Reading and math achievement Processing speed

Explicit and Implicit Memory Part of long-term memory systems Explicit memory: conscious or declarative memory Episodic memory—retention of information about where and when of life’s happenings Semantic memory—one’s knowledge about world including field of expertise Implicit memory: routine skills and procedures

Aging and Explicit Memory Younger adults have better episodic memory than older adults Older adults remember older events better than more recent events; take longer to retrieve semantic information Accuracy fades with the aging of a memory Less adversely affected by aging than explicit memory

Memory for Spanish as a Function of Age Since Spanish Was Learned Fig. 7.13

Source Memory Ability to remember where something was learned Contexts of Physical setting Emotional setting Identity of speaker Failures increase with age in adult years; relevancy of information affects ability

Prospective Memory Remembering to do something in the future Age-related declines depend on task Time-based tasks decline more Event-based tasks show less decline

Influences on the Memory of Older Adults Physiological and psychological factors Health Beliefs, expectations, and feelings Education, memory tasks, assessment Training and mneumonics improve memory Method of loci: storing mental images Chunking: put into manageable units

Memory, Age, and Time of Day Tested (A.M. or P.M.) Fig. 7.12

Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging Thinking Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging Emerged as a major discipline Studies links between aging and cognitive functioning Relies on MRI and PET scans Brain changes influence cognitive functioning Neural circuits Increased use of both hemispheres in processing Functioning of hippocampus Larger neural patterns for retrieval with aging

What Is Thinking? Manipulating and transforming information in memory Reason, reflect, evaluate ideas, solve problems, make decisions Concepts — categories that group things Perceptual categorization: as young as 7 mos. Categorization increases in second year; infants differentiate more

Critical Thinking Grasping deeper meaning of ideas Involves Ask what, how, and why Examine facts and determine evidence Recognize one or more explanations exist Compare various answers, select the best Evaluate before accepting as truth Speculate beyond what is known

Critical Thinking Few schools teach to students Encourage by Students recite, define, describe, state, list Students not asked to analyze, create, rethink Encourage by Presenting controversial topics for discussion Motivate students to delve deeper into issues Teachers should refrain from giving own views

Strategies for Critical Thinking Children teach children — older help younger Reciprocal teaching — small-group discussions Jigsaw classroom — cross-talk sessions Online computer consultation Adults as role models Create culture of learning, negotiating, sharing, and producing (active, not passive)

Scientific Thinking Aimed at identifying causal relationships Children emphasize causal mechanisms more influenced by happenstance than by overall pattern Cling to old theories regardless of evidence Have difficulty designing experiments

Scientific Thinking Problem solving and children Teach strategies and rules to solve problems Teacher is model, motivate children Use effective strategy instruction Encourage alternative strategies and approaches Analogical problem solving: occurs as early as age 1

Thinking in Adolescence Critical Thinking If fundamental skills not developed during childhood, critical-thinking skills unlikely to mature in adolescence Decision Making Older adolescents appear as more competent decision makers than younger adolescents Ability does not guarantee every day usage

Thinking in Adulthood Practical problem solving, expertise improve Expertise — extensive, highly organized knowledge and understanding of particular domain Use It or Lose It — practice helps cognitive skills Cognitive Training — can help some if skills are being lost Cognitive improvement tied to physical fitness and vitality

Metacognition What Is Metacognition? Knowledge about when and where to use particular strategies Metamemory—knowledge about memory Theory of mind— curiosity or thoughts about how mental processes work Changes as child ages

The Child’s Theory of Mind Metacognition The Child’s Theory of Mind Ages 2 to 3 — begin to understand Perceptions Desires Emotions Age 5 — realization of false beliefs Middle and late childhood — mind seen as active constructor of knowledge

Developmental Changes In False Belief Performance Fig. 7.16

Metamemory in Children Metacognition Metamemory in Children Limited in children Preschoolers have Inflated opinion of memories Little appreciation for importance of memory cues Understanding of memory abilities and skill in evaluating performance on memory tasks improves considerably by 11-12 years of age

Metacognition in Adolescence and Adulthood Adolescents more likely than children to effectively manage and monitor thinking Middle age adults have accumulated a great deal of metacognitive knowledge Older adults tend to overestimate memory problems they experience on daily basis

7 The End