Working memory is a cognitive system with a limited capacity that can hold information temporarily. Working memory is important for reasoning, learning and comprehension. Some of the manipulation of information takes place in working memory

Working Memory

Can hold a lot of information for years (even decades). Sometimes described as an archive of information.

Long-term memory (LTM) 

Problem solving is a fundamental cognitive process people engage in daily to find solutions for challenges they encounter. These challenges can range from straightforward tasks, such as doubling a recipe, to more complex situations, like handling an unexpected equipment failure under a tight deadline. A more formal definition states that "problem solving consists of using generic or ad hoc methods in an orderly manner to find solutions to problems."

Problem Solving

- development of memory
- development of problem solving

Wake Forest University

Haverford College in Pennsylvania

Traces the sequences of the different operations within the mind - similar to how a computer is broken down into memory units, an input processor, etc.

Information-Processing approach

Siegler, R., Saffran, J. R., Eisenberg, N., Deloache, J., &amp; Gershoff, E. (2017). How Children Develop (5th ed.). Worth Publishers, Inc.

How Children Develop Textbook

Our brain takes an information and makes an initial sense through sensory register and perception. Making sense it focuses on certain things through attention and takes into account past experiences from working a long term memory, in order to make decision and act on the world.

Wicken's Human Information Processing Model

- the specific processes that are involved in thinking
- viewing thinking as a process that happens over time

David Klahr's Characteristics of Information-Processing Theories

Central Ideas of Information-Processing Theories

A foundational idea in understanding mental processes is the analogy between the human mind and a computer. This view suggests that thinking involves a sequence of operations for handling information, such as input, storage, retrieval, and output. Critically evaluate this analogy. In your response, discuss one significant strength and one significant limitation of using a computer model to understand human thought.

Evaluating the Computer Analogy in Cognitive Psychology

Using the perspective that the human mind operates like a computer that processes information in a series of stages, analyze the mental steps involved when a driver sees a traffic light turn red and brings their car to a stop. Describe the sequence of operations from the initial sensory input to the final behavioral output.

Analyzing a Cognitive Task

This model illustrates a cognitive pathway where external stimuli lead to behavioral responses. The process begins with the intake of information and sensations, which then influence emotions and memories. These elements, in turn, contribute to the formation of thoughts. Thoughts not only result in behavior but also create a feedback loop, influencing the initial emotions and memories.

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