ERIC ED401390: Human Cognition and Information Processing: Potential Problems for a Field Dependent Human Sequential Information Processor.

6 Pages·1996·0.12 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CE 072 872
ED 401 390
Shaughnessy, M.; And Others
AUTHOR
Human Cognition and Information Processing: Potential
TITLE
Problems for a Field Dependent Human Sequential
Information Processor.
PUB DATE
96
NOTE
5p.
Reports
Information Analyses (070)
PUB TYPE
Research /Technical (143)
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Adult Education; *Adult Learning; Career Choice; Case
DESCRIPTORS
Studies; *Cognitive Processes; Comparative Analysis;
Field Dependence Independence; *Job Training;
*Nuclear Power Plant Technicians; *Vocational
Aptitude
Luria (A R)
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
Numerous cognitive psychologists have validated the
hypothesis, originally advanced by the Russian physician, A. Luria,
that different individuals process information in two distinctly
different manners: simultaneously and sequentially. The importance of
recognizing the existence of these two distinct styles of processing
information and selecting a career suitable to one's method of
processing information is illustrated by the cases of two sequential
information processors who participated in training programs for
nuclear power plant operators. Although both men handled serially
ordered tasks very well, neither was capable of comprehending the
overall structure of related tasks. Because both training programs in
which the men were involved were designed for simultaneous
information processors, each man failed his respective training
course. One of the men chose a new career that was suitable for
sequential information processors and went on to become a respected
contributor in reactor engineering for a nuclear steam supplier. The
other man eventually managed to obtain certification as a nuclear
powef plant operator by enrolling in a different training program;
however, his inability to process information simultaneously
eventually led to failure as a nuclear power plant operator and loss
of his nuclear license. (Contains 11 references.)
(MN)
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HUMAN COGNITION AND INFORMATION PROCESSING: POTENTIAL PROBLEMS FOR
A FIELD DEPENDENT HUMAN SEQUENTIAL INFORMATION PROCESSOR
Bonney Knobel
Ronald Knobel
DR. M. Shaughnessy
Eastern NMU
Eastern NMU
Eastern NMU
1623 S. Ave 0
1623 S. Ave 0
Education Department
Portales, NM 88130
Portales, NM 88130
Portales, NM
88130
[phone]
[phone]
[phone]
years other investigators into
SUMMARY
human cognitive processes (Das,
Kirby, & Jarman, 1975), (Kirby &
The driving forces behind the
Das, 1977), (Kamphaus & Kaufman,
present day understanding of
1986) and others have verified,
information processing strategies
validated, and refined Luria's
in humans have been the various
model, forming a consensus and
studies and resultant findings of
acceptance in the community of
Luria and Das. What is remarkable
cognitive psychologists for the
is that in all the literature
existence of the two independent
viewed, there has been consistent
human information processing
agreement amongst the theorists,
strategies of sequential and
experimentalists, and evaluators
simultaneous.
concerning the existence of certain
common strategies (i.e.,
II. CASE STUDIES
simultaneous, sequential, etc.) for
information coding and processing.
We would like to tell you about
The Luria model, with few
two students. One was a student (we
exceptions, has stood the test of
will call him Willie) in the Naval
time and today still stands
Nuclear Power program at a
unchallenged as the most important
prototype in the East. The other
concept in understanding how humans
(we will call him Max) was a
code and process information.
student in the Civilian Nuclear
Power Program at a training center
I.INTRODUCTION
operated for a nuclear steam
supplier (NSS). What Willie and Max
Dr. A. Luria, practicing in a
had in common, though the training
clinic outside Moscow, observed
environments were greatly
that patients undergoing treatment
dissimilar as was the nuclear power
for brain lesions (most were war
plants they were studying and hoped
veterans with head injuries)
to qualify on, was that they were
processed information in two
both sequential information
distinctly different manners.Thus,
processors and were strongly field
Dr. Luria developed a model for
dependent. They both "locked on" to
human cognitive information
processing. The model was used on
a given stimulus (alarm, horn,
alarm light, evolution, etc.). Any
normal adults without known brain
other stimuli that arrived at their
lesions and the results indicated
(-4
N
that two factors existed which he respective sensory register was
identified as sequential and ignored until they resolved the
60
simultaneous information needs associated with the stimulus
processing. Over the intervening they were locked onto. As teachers
2
strategies appear to overlap.
of nuclear power plant design,
However, factor analysis of results
engineering, construction, and
operations, like associates at the of tests designed to measure
sequential and simultaneous
time, we were at a loss at how to
information processing strategies
"unlock" these two students so that
in humans (Das, Kirby, & Jarman,
they could see the larger picture.
We might have tried forever and not
1975) has shown that these
cognitive processes are independent
succeeded. You are all probably
i.e., Varimax rotation of factors
aware of people just like Willie
clearly shows orthogonality (Das et
and Max. People who seem to do a
al, 1975 and Das & Dash, 1983). A
very good job at serial, well
substantial amount of work in the
defined and confined tasks, yet who
fail to comprehend or see how their area of overlapping cognitive
strategies has been done. At this
personal contribution fits into the
point one might ask "Are Willie and
larger, open and unconfined big
Max not intelligent?" Willie was a
picture. You yourself may be like
graduate engineer, with some 20
Willie and Max. What was unknown at
years of experience, who had risen
the time that both failed to
to the senior engineer individual
qualify was the work of Luria
contributor position of a large NSS
(Luria, 1966), wherein he, working
vendor. It is significant to note
with World War II Russian veterans
that he was not an engineering
with mild to severe head wounds,
identified the independent
manager. Max, on the other hand,
was a high school graduate who had
cognitive processes we know as
risen to the Senior Shift
sequential and simultaneous
information processing. Willie and Supervisor position, after some 20
or more years of experience, for an
Max were sequential information
eastern fossil fueled power
processors. They could do very well
on serial ordered tasks but were generating station. The work of
unable to comprehend the overall Cowart and McCallum (1984) has
structure of related tasks. Recent shown that the information
work has identified allied concepts processing strategies of sequential
of field-dependent (sequential
and simultaneous are stable over a
processor) and field-independent person's life span and no evidence
have they found to indicate any
(simultaneous processor). What
change in these information
Luria also identified (Luria, 1966)
processing strategies as a function
and what has been corroborated by a
large number of cognitive of age. Merritt and McCallum
psychological investigators (Das, (1982), and McCallum and Merritt
Kirby,& Jarman, 1975 and Kirby & (1983) found that no gender
differences exist in our
Das, 1977 and Kamphaus & Kaufman,
utilization of the sequential and
1986) among others, is that Willie
and Max were born as primarily
simultaneous information processing
sequential information processors.
strategies. Sahu and Devi (1984)
They did not nor could they have
showed that the cognitive
learned it. We are all born
information processing strategies
naturally as sequential or
of sequential and simultaneous are
simultaneous information
independent of individual
processors. Some of us, unlike
intelligence. Another question
Willie and Max, are able to utilize
could be "Why did they fail to
some of each cognitive information
qualify?" In a sense, we set them
processing strategy. As with other
up for failure. During their
cognitive abilities that overlap,
nuclear power training, no attempts
these information processing
made to identify how they
3
cognitively processed the mass of
immediate action on emergencies,
provide a pictorial format, again
information they were being fed.
as a flow chart. If the most recent
In Willie's case, he chose a career
incident at Salem (Nuclear News,
position which was .suited to an
June 1994) and the questions raised
individual contributor, a
by the Three Mile Island accident
sequential information processor.
are any indication, we still seem
Max chose a career position for
to have our operators burdened with
which later events showed he was
impossible procedures. This is
not suited. Were Willie and Max,
especially true for those
the sequential information
identified, or perhaps suspected,
processors, unequipped with
as being sequential processors. The
operational procedural guidance
procedures were not designed with
specifically designed for their
recognition of, and allowances made
unique cognitive abilities, set up
for failure? The answer is an for, their unique cognitive
information processing strategies.
unequivocal YES. The naval program,
at which Willie was failed,
utilized operational procedures
that were written in lengthy
III. CONCLUSIONS
paragraph format. Even some
Willie went on from his failure
simultaneous information processors
to become a well respected
had trouble seeing the stable plant
end state. A sequential processor individual contributor in reactor
was hopelessly lost in the
engineering for a large NSS vendor.
verbiage. The work of Sahu and Devi Max went to another nuclear power
training center at which he
(1984) showed that good readers
were simultaneous processors succeeded in qualifying. He was
primarily, and possessed placed on shift at an eastern
differentiated strategies (they
nuclear generating station and,
overlap), while poor readers were after a series of incidents, was
not proficient at either sequential
relieved of his shift duties, lost
or simultaneous strategies and did
his nuclear license, and retired
not possess differentiated
into obscurity. Could their stories
strategies. Kirby and Robinson have turned out differently? Yes,
a study of reading
but we have to take into account
(1987), in
disabled-children, found that more of an individual's unique
children with reading disabilities
cognitive ability. This is
employed simultaneous information especially important where it
processing, if they possessed it,
directly impacts not only how he
in tasks where normal children used
processes information cognitively,
sequential information processing.
but how that information
This was Willie's and Max's
processing, utilized by him
problem: they utilized their
determines how much and of what
quality the information is that
sequential strategy for reading and
went from word to word and never
reaches his long-term store.
grasped the whole purpose of the
procedure. Max's utility, as all
did and may still do, utilized a
IV. RECOMMENDATIONS
lengthy paragraph format in its
operational procedures. NASA, at
We would strongly recommend that we
least for the astronauts in the
test all current and potential
space shuttle, saw the need to
future nuclear plant operators to
attempt to pictorialize (flow chart
determine their predominant
format). Airlines, for the
information processing cognitive
4
564-570, (1977).
strategies, sequential or
simultaneous. We then must design
3. R.W.Kamphaus, &
training programs and procedures
A.S.Kaufman,"Factor Analysis of
that recognize these individual
The Kaufman Assessment Battery
equip the
cognitive styles and
For Children (K-ABC) For
current and potential operators for
Separate Groups of Boys and
the emergencies that are still to
of Clinical
Girls,"Journal
come. This will be especially
Child Psycholoqv,15,3, 210-213,
important as fusion reactors become
a reality in the 21st century. Of
(1986).
course you will take note of your
4. A.R.Luria,Higher Cortical
children. They are not tested
Functions In Man, 149-471, Basic
either for cognitive information
Books, Inc.,New York, (1966).
processing strategies, unless a
is suspected
learning disability
5. J.P.Das, &
or is evident. Yet the sequential
U.N.Dash,"Hierarchical Factor
information processor in your
Solution of Coding and Planning
child's 5th grade class, maybe your
Processes: Any New Insights,
child, will struggle and struggle
" Intelligence, 7, 27-37,
throughout the subsequent school
years. None of the school
(1983).
curriculum is specifically designed
7. C.A.Cowart, & R.S. McCallum,
for the sequential processor. It
"Simultaneous-Successive
does not have to be for the
processing aAcross The Life
simultaneous processor; however,
Span: A Cross-sectional
who is probably bored to tears. As
Examination of Stability And
some of you may be aware, the
Proficiency, Experimental Aging
calculus curriculum is being
Research, 10,4,225-229, (1984).
extensively revised at many
universities to make it more
8. F.M.Merritt, & R. McCallum "Sex-
pictorial. The emphasis will be on
related Differences in
visual computer displays with the
computer doing the traditional Simultaneous-Successive
student's computational calculus
Information Processing, "Clinical
Neuropsych., 5,3,117-119,
work. Will this display of
functionalism be a boon or another
(1982).
bust for the sequential information
9. R.S.McCallum,& F. Merritt
processor?
"Simultaneous-Successive
processing Among College
REFERENCES Students,"Journal of Psychoed.
Asses., 1,1,85-93, (1983).
1. J.P.Das, J.Kirby, & R.F.Jarman,
10. S.Sahu, & G.Davi,"Reading
"Simultaneous and Successive
Ability And Information
Synthesis: An Alternative model
Processing Strategies,"Journal
for Cognitive Abilities,"
of Research in Readinq,7,1,33-
Psychological Bulletin, 82,1,
87-103,(1975).
40, (1984)
2. J.R.Kirby, & J.P.Das,"Reading
11. J.R.Kirby, & G.Robinson
"Simultaneous and Successive
Achievement, IQ, and
Processing in Reading Disabled
Simultaneous- Successive
Children,"Journal of Learning
Processing,"Journal of
Disabilities,20,243-52, (1987).
Educational Psychology, 69,5,
5
6711?-1.
837
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