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Child Psychology: A Contemporary Viewpoint, First Canadian Edition

E. Mavis Hetherington, University of Virginia
Ross D. Parke, University of California
Mark Schmuckler, University of Toronto at Scarborough

Cognitive Development: the Information Processing Approach

Application Questions


1		Memories can come simultaneously from emotional sources as well as cognitive sources. For example, the stress from an interpersonal conflict often results in selective memory. Think of the last time you were involved in a dispute with someone significant in your life, such as a roommate, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a parent, etc. Reflect on the following questions. Was your interpretation of the people and events of the conflict different from their perception? Why? How might both parties find common ground and separate the facts of the situation from the intent and intensity of the situation?



2		University counseling centers work with students to support mastery level learning of complex course material. While working with a counsellor, many students have complained that "I don't know what I don't know about the course material until it's too late - by then, I'm taking the test.". How do we become more aware of our learning processes and memory abilities? How can we shift from superficial processing of course material to deeper processing? Reflect on these questions using an information processing perspective.



3		As an university student, you regularly encounter many complex learning situations. With reference to the information processing model, describe any three memory strategies and explain how and why they enhance memory.



4		Do you remember being taught how to read by your parents and/or teachers? Research confirms that learning to read is an intellectually demanding and complex process that spans many years. What abilities must children possess in order to read text? Using an information processing model, diagram the process of reading and describe the information handling processes involved.



5		As children age, memory improves. Ask young children of different ages (e.g., 4, 6, 8 years of age) to carry out a memory task, such as memorizing a list of common grocery items. How many items are remembered by each subject? Which items are remembered - those at the beginning, middle, or end of the list? What memory strategies do children use (e.g., rehearsal?)?

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