Input

Information enters the system. In humans, this occurs through our sensory receptors. These pick up on sound waves, light waves, etc. and transform them into neural impulses so this information can be processed within the brain. This process is called encoding. The information is stored in our sensory memory for a brief amount of time, which differs depending on the sensory input. For example, visual stimuli will stay in for less than half a second, whereas sound stimuli will stay in for 3-4 seconds. The computer equivalent to this process is putting data into a computer, for example, typing into a search bar, or selecting something using a touch screen.

Output

In humans, information can then be retrieved by other parts of the brain. The output (or behaviour) from this process is the only component traditional behaviourists that we have previously discussed (like Watson and Skinner) would have measured. For example, this may be turning our heads towards a sound that we have heard. On a computer, this could be represented by information on a screen or a printer.

Storage: Short-term memory

In humans, sensory information that has caught our attention because it may be important (called selective attention) is then stored in our short-term (working) memory. This is the information you are aware of at any given time, which is approximately 5-9 (7+/-2 items): not a large capacity. Different types of information in your short-term memory are coordinated by a processor called the central executive (for example, if you are looking at, and listening to a GPS, this information is combined through the central executive). On a computer, this is equivalent to the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and RAM which are both storage and processing devices.

Next, in humans, the information is passed through to an episodic buffer (this is a recent addition to information processing theories based on the working memory model by Baddeley, 2000) that integrates different forms of information and maintains consideration of time before sending information for storage in long term memory. This is like when you press ‘save’ on a computer.

Storage: Long-term memory

In humans, the information is stored in long-term memory. There are different forms of long-term memory, which you cover in detail in other courses, but in general, these can be thought of as being similar to hardware storage systems, such as the hard-disk, USB, and the basic input/output system (BIOS).