Information processing models

Introduction

In this post i am going to explain the three information processing models and how they differ from one another, the factors influencing reaction times and how i in used related it in my session, the role of memory and selective attention and finally the different types of feedback.

Information processing models:

• The basic information processing model 

• Welford's (1968) information processing model

• Whiting's (1969) information processing model

The basic information processing model

This model is the process of how we learn, the idea explains the process of learning is due to an 'input, decision making, output and feedback'.

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/pe/sports-psychology/revise-it/information-processing-and-feedback

The process starts when there is some sort of stimuli that starts the process off, this is the 'Input' part of the model and can be that you have just listened to your coach tell you what to do (Audio), you have just watched your coach perform a skill (Visual), or you have tried to perform a task (Sensory).

Then this information enters the 'Decision making' part where the brain sorts out the information gathered and retrieves the relevant information for the activity required, such as if your coach had shown you how to shoot and put curl on it, you would have some base information gathered from when you learnt how to do a straight forward shot therefore it would regard that part as it is stored in the long term memory, and take in the curling part so that you can use the information about how to add curl on the shot.

The next part is the 'output' part of the model and this is where the decision has been made by the motor cortex and has been performed by the muscle, so using the previous example of how to curl a ball, the out put is you shooting to try and curl the ball.

the final stage is the 'feedback' part of the model and this is where you receive information back from the performance that you have just done, this can can be internal where your brain sends messages back so that it can tell us if it was successful or not and if it was successful it will use this as your guide for future reference. externally is when someone else gives you information regarding your performance such as a coach or team mate.

after this process has been completed, the whole process starts again, the more you do the same skill, the less amount of information you take in as the previous information has been stored in the long term memory ready to be used when you perform that skill again.

Welford's (1968) information processing model

Welford's explains that the process of learning is due to 'sensory input, perception, short term memory, decision making, long term memory, effector control and the effectors'

https://sites.google.com/site/jacksrevisionwebsite/pe-revision/as-pe/as-pe-theoretical-models/whiting-s-model

At the sensory input stage the brain distinguishes a source of information which are the different stimuli's around us. this is done by watching information unveil before your eyes using your visual senses, or it could be told to you where you hear the information through auditory senses or you could touch it with your proprioceptors.

At the perception stage you have just received the information from your senses and the brain is trying to interpret that information into a form that suits you better by removing the irrelevant information, then the useful information is sent to the short term memory.

At the short term memory stage all of the information that was filter out by perception is briefly stored in the short term memory where we compare this information with our previous experiences of the skill in our long term memory 

At the decision making stage the motor cortex will create a motor plan based on the information you have gathered from the short and long term memory and once this is done the plan is stored in the long term memory.

at the effector control stage the motor plan that the motor cortex has created is then sent down to the required muscles, such as to catch a ball coming towards you, the signals will be sent to the muscles in your arms and hands.

then the final stage is the effector stage and at this stage your muscle are sent a signal to contract and the action is produced.

at the end the information gathered is stored into the long term memory ready for future reference.

Whiting's (1969) model of information processing

this information processing model is almost identical to Welford's (1968) model, however they both use different terminology. Whiting's explained that his model of information processing is due to the input of data using the receptor systems, perceptional mechanism, translator mechanism, effector mechanism, output of data and feedback data.

input  data is the stage where the information you are going to receive is going to be displayed in front of you, this is detected by the receptor systems which the process of how we get the information, these systems include visual information, auditory senses and the sense of feeling.

next is the perceptional mechanism which is where the brain interprets the information you have been given into a form that you can understand and then use such as in football, it is where you will interpret a ball coming to you and therefore you will need to move your foot to control it.

the next stage is the translatory mechanism and this is where you use the information gathered in the perceptional mechanism to create a best possible decision for the environment and this information is sent to the effector mechanism   

at the effector mechanism the effectors use the motor cortex to create a motor plan and this is where the decision that you have chosen is being made, then the effector sends the signals to the relevant muscle ready for another signal that is sent to the muscular system to allow the muscles to contract.

the output data stage is where you conduct the movements, so using the previous example of someone passing the ball to you, the output data is you controlling the ball after it has been passed to you.

the final stage is the feedback data where signals from the brain tell you whether the action was successful or not, it does it by comparing the outcome to other experiences, such as if you controlled the ball and it bounced up of your foot, that would have some unsuccessful areas, but if the ball stayed with your foot then it would have more successful areas to it.