The Two Modes of Cognitive Processing Essay - 1792 Words

The Two Modes of Cognitive Processing Models and experiments presented throughout the Cognitive Psychology course indicate that within the Information Processing framework, 2 distinct modes of cognitive processing exist. The first, concerned with low level cognition is characterised by processing which is parallel, automatic, bottom-up and not very limited by capacity. This is most clearly demonstrated by the number of things we can hear simultaneously, see simultaneously, smell, taste and feel simultaneously. This type of low level cognition, along with skills which have been proceduralised, can also be performed automatically; performed without conscious attention. Automatic tasks do not†¦show more content†¦The distinction between these two modes of cognitive processing, however, is not that clear cut. For instance, tasks are not usually totally automatic nor totally attentional; when automatically swimming up and down a pool, we may be focusing our attention on a piece of music, but we are also aware of o ther swimmers and we usually pay enough attention to avoid swimming in to them. Neither is processing usually exclusively top-down or bottom-up, most tasks involve both types of processing in combination. Except maybe, when asleep, we are constantly receiving bottom-up data through our 5 senses. We are also constantly reacting to these stimuli by applying top-down interpretations from our stored general knowledge representations. On the face of it, perception would seem to depend heavily on bottom-up processing (receiving data from stimuli) and memory on top-down, conceptually-driven processing, as remembering depends on retrieval of stored information. But in fact, perception can be affected by the perceivers expectations or by general principles such as size constancy, and remembering is performed in context, taking account of environmental cues. Gregory (1973) made use of visual illusions, such as the Ponzo perspective illusion to show how top-down processes affect perception. His view was that perceptionsShow MoreRelatedCooperation Is At The Heart Of Human Social Life Essay1301 Words   |  6 Pagesrequire cognitive resources: „We fully expect that social mindfulness [†¦] will be undermined by competing sources of attention (cognitive load), time pressure, or alternative sources of distraction that conflict with executive functioning that enables people ’to see‘ the consequences of one‘s actions for othersâ€Å" (p. 21). 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