L6: Information Processing

This module discusses cognition from the information processing tradition including processing stages, information, and capacity limitations, which became popular research topics around the 1950s and 60s.

Goals

  • Introduce the “information processing” metaphor for cognition
  • Connect ideas from computer science to cognition

Instructions

Work through each of the following Read, View/Watch/listen, and Engage sections. You have the full week to complete any quizzes or assignments for this module.

Read

60 minutes

Textbook Chapter: Information Processing

Describes cognition from the information processing tradition including processing stages, information, and capacity limitations, which became popular research topics around the 1950s and 60s.

Read

View/Watch/Listen

There are three sets of slides for this module.

Lecture 1


L6: Slides 1

Lecture 2

L6: Slides 2

Review class

L0-L6: Review

Engage

When you are ready complete any or all of the following assignments.

  1. QUIZ: Complete the L6: Information Processing quiz (on Canvas)
  2. WRITING: There are reading/writing assignments to choose from (instructions below, submit on Canvas).
  3. REFLECT: Submit a meme for the Memer of the Semester contest on Canvas (1 extra credit point for winner at the end of the semester)

Submit your work before the due date posted on Canvas. Then, move on to the next learning module.


Writing Option 1: Reflect on Turing’s paper

In class, we briefly discussed Alan Turing’s idea of “imitation game” and how it continues to influence the study of cognition. In this writing assignment, you get to read Turing’s original paper (available on Canvas):

  • Turing, A. M. (1950). Computing Machine and Intelligence. MIND, LIX, 433-460.

The paper is long, but feel free to read as much as you find interesting (I recommend reading at least up to page 10). In your response (at least 250 words), you should specify the pages you read and whether or not you think the test proposed by Turing is an appropriate measure of intelligence and/or cognition.

Writing Option 2: Answer two short answer questions

Answer the following questions:

  • Describe Donders’ subtractive logic using an example and then discuss at least two potential issues with this logic.

  • Describe:

    • What the set-size effect refers to in a choice-reaction time experiment.
    • Describe what the Hick-Hyman law refers to.
    • Eplain the repetition priming confound, and describe how repetition priming could explain performance in choice-reaction time tasks showing evidence of the Hick-Hyman law.