Describe the information-processing theory of cognitive development.
...ages of this theory are: input or sensory register, short-term or working memory, and long-term memory. This three-stage information-processing model is the most accepted model of this theory. Individuals receive information through a particular sensory organ such as the ears, eyes, nose, mouth or sense of touch. The main sensory receptors that are used come primarily from sight and sound. These sensory receptors are constantly receiving information and much of this information is discarded immediately. Information entering is monitored at a low attention level. For example, when driving a car and simultaneously carrying on a conversation one can monitor and respond to driving without transfer of this information to short-term memory. The short-term or working memory is constantly replenished with new information, so thoughts and memories are usually not retained for very long. This information stays for approximately twenty seconds. Some information is retained longer than twenty seconds, but most is quickly forgotten at this stage. An example of this is forgetting a phone number as soon as it is dialed or forgetting a name only seconds after introduction. Working memory can hold a limited amount of information during certain duration of time. Individuals can keep information in the working memory by rehearsing or repeating it. This information is transferred to the long-term memory. Information we do remember for a short amount of time goes into the long-term memory. Long-term memory has an unlimited capacit...