Information Processing and Memory

What Information Processing and Memory covers

Information Processing and Memory is examined in Component 2, Psychological and social principles of physical education. It covers Welford and Whiting's information processing models, the sensory store and short-term memory, long-term memory and the multi-store model, reaction time, Hick's law and the psychological refractory period and Schmidt's schema theory.

The 5 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Welford and Whiting's information processing modelsThe display, sensory input and stimulus identification, the detection, comparison and recognition phases of perception, selective attention, response selection and programming, memory in Welford's model, and Whiting's three mechanisms.Open →
• The sensory store and short-term memoryThe short-term sensory store's capacity, duration and encoding, what leaves it, short-term memory's capacity, duration and encoding, chunking with a sporting example, experts and beginners, coaching instructions and displacement.Open →
• Long-term memory and the multi-store modelThe three stores of the multi-store model, long-term memory's capacity, duration and encoding, recall, rehearsal and retrieval, overlearned skills, meaningful information, a criticism of the model and the rugby fly-half reading a defence.Open →
• Reaction time, Hick's law and the psychological refractory periodReaction and response time, simple and choice reaction time, Hick's law and its graph, worked Hick's law, penalty save and ruler drop figures, measuring reactions and sprint starts, and the psychological refractory period in a rugby dummy.Open →
• Schmidt's schema theorySchemas and Schmidt's 1975 theory, the recall and recognition schemas, initial conditions, response specifications, sensory consequences and movement outcomes, a basketball pass under pressure, variable practice and feedback.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Information Processing and Memory further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Simple reaction time vs Choice reaction time

  Simple reaction time: the delay in answering one stimulus with one set response. Choice reaction time: the delay in picking one response from several possible stimuli.

• Reaction time vs Response time

  Reaction time: the interval from stimulus onset to the start of movement. Response time: the interval from stimulus onset to the end of movement.

• Recall schema vs Recognition schema

  Recall schema: stored knowledge used to start and produce a movement. Recognition schema: stored knowledge used to judge a movement during and after it.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is information processing?

   Model answer

   Information processing is how a performer takes in information, makes a decision and acts on it. The approach treats the brain like a computer with input, processing and output.

2. 2

   What is the display in sport?

   Model answer

   The display is the sporting environment the performer senses. The display includes the ball, teammates, opponents and the crowd.

3. 3

   Which senses provide input in sport?

   Model answer

   Vision and hearing detect information from the display. Proprioception supplies touch, balance and kinaesthesis from inside the body.

4. 4

   What happens during stimulus identification?

   Model answer

   The performer detects and identifies the relevant stimulus in the display. A batter picks out the ball as it leaves the bowler's hand.

5. 5

   Name the three DCR phases of perception.

   Model answer

   The three phases are detection, comparison and recognition. Together the phases turn raw input into a recognised situation.

6. 6

   Describe the detection phase of perception.

   Model answer

   Detection is noticing that a stimulus is present. Selective attention decides which stimuli are detected.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Information Processing and Memory revision questions

What does Information Processing and Memory cover in Edexcel A-Level Physical Education?

5 subtopics: welford and whiting's information processing models, the sensory store and short-term memory, long-term memory and the multi-store model, reaction time, hick's law and the psychological refractory period and schmidt's schema theory. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Information Processing and Memory organised?

By the Edexcel 9PE0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.