The Two Modes of Cognitive Processing

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 employ a

great deal of mental effort. Automatic tasks such as swimming,

driving, and peeling the potatoes can all be accomplished whilst

holding a conversation. They can be performed in parallel without

making heavy demands on the limited capacity of working memory.

The second mode of processing, concerned with high-level cognition, is

serial, attentional (within conscious control ), top-down, and a high

consumer of working memory's limited capacity. It is usual to only be

able to focus our attention (from one modality) on one thing at a

time, for instance we can switch our attention from a piece of music

to spoken words and back but we can't listen to both at the same time.

We can only say one thing at time and think one thing at a time, in

this respect high-level cognition is characterised by serial

processing. These tasks take a lot of mental effort and therefore draw

heavily on the limited capacity of working memory. They are also

driv...

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...tasks are those we

are consciously aware of doing. We are conscious of paying attention

to that task and if our attention is attracted away, then processing

of that task stops. Automatic processing is largely unconscious; we

can drive a familiar route and arrive without having been conscious of

the journey.

The 2 modes of processing then, have been shown to exist, but they are

not always distinct, rather they exist at either end of a dimension

with lots of variation in between. It has been useful, however, to

draw the distinction between the 2 extreme types of cognitive

processing for clarity. Mode 1 describes the typical characteristics

of conscious processing and mode 2 describes the typical

characteristics of unconscious processing but in reality there is a

complex relationship and interaction between the two.