Information processing

General information processing model

Input → Decision making → Output

The display

The display is all the sensory information gathered by a performer about their environment

Input

This is the ‘stimulus identification’ stage, where stimuli are detected through the senses

Decision making

The performer then uses information from the senses to select an appropriate response. After this, perceptual and translatory mechanisms are used to help the performer decide on a correct decision.

Selective attention

Filtering out unnecessary sensory information

How to develop selective attention

Intensifying the stimulus/Learning to ignore irrelevant stimuli/Enhancing motivation/Mental practice

Perception

The process of coding and interpreting sensory information

Three elements of perception (DCR)

D - Detection

C - Comparison

R - Recognition

Translatory mechanisms

Convert information to help understand it \

Effector mechanisms

The network of nerves responsible for delivering the decisions made to the muscles so they can perform the action

Whiting’s (1969) information processing model

Atkinson + Shiffrin memory model (1968)

Short term memory store

Can store 7 pieces of data in memory in 30 seconds

How to enhance memory

Giving meaning to the information/Associating it with previously learnt things/Chunking the information/Mental rehearsal

Baddeley and Hitch’s Working memory model (1978)

Sub-systems of memory

Phonological loop/Visuospatial sketchpad/Episodic buffer

Phonological loop

This deals with auditory information and produces a memory trace to be sent to the long-term store.

Visuospatial sketchpad

Stores visual and spatial information. Made up of the visual cache (form + colour) and the inner scribe (spatial + movement)

Episodic buffer

This coordinates the sight, hearing and movement information from the working memory into sequence to be sent to the long term memory.

Aids for storing information

Rewards/Association/Mental Practice/Chunking/Repetition/Chaining/Focus

Schema theory

Schema theory suggests that motor programmes can be adapted based on the environment

Two parts of Scheme

Recall, Recognition

Two parts of recall

Initial conditions, response specification

Two parts of recognition

Sensory consequences, response outcome

Initial conditions (where am I?)

The recognition of the sporting environment

Response specification (What do I need to do?)

The information from the sporting environment is used to assess options for the performer

Sensory consequences (How do I do it?)

The use of the senses to guide movement

Response outcome (How did I do?)

The schema can be updated with feedback from the skill performance

Reaction time

The time taken from the onset of a stimulus to the onset of a response

Response time

The time taken from the onset of the stimulus to the completion of the task

Simple reaction time

When there is only 1 specific response to a stimulus

Choice reaction time

Where there are more than 1 specific responses to a stimulus - slower

Hick’s law

Reaction time increases as the number of choices increases (RT = a + b log₂n)

Single channel hypothesis

Only one single bit of information can be process at a time

Psychological refractory periof

If a second stimulus is received before the first is responded to, it increases reaction time

Anticipation

If we can identify the stimulus early enough, we can anticipate how to react. Temporal → prejudging when the stimulus occurs (time) Spatial → prejudging where and what the stimulus (space)

Improving response time

Mental practice/Training to the specific stimulus/Focus and concentration/Intensifying the stimulus/Improving fitness/Anticipation