Download Levels of Processing Theory File - NW 14-19

Levels of Processing Theory ( As An Alternative To The
Multi-Store Model)
The Theory:
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When information is processed it can be processed at varying levels of depth.
Deep processing refers to fully analyzing information in terms of its meaning
and importance.
Shallow processing refers to processing information only in terms of its surface
structure (sound, letters, etc.).
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Depth of processing varies along a continuum. Processing isn't deep or shallow,
rather processing is deep or shallow relative to other processing. You can think
of varying levels of processing as falling into certain categories though:
o The letters that make up the word
o The shape of the printed word
o The sound of the spoken word
o The meaning of the word

Deep processing leads to better memory than does shallow processing. Thus to
the extent to which you analyze items in terms of their meaning you should do
better at being able to remember the items.
ACTIVITY : fill in the table, identifying whether each task involves deep, medium
or shallow processing.
MEMORISATION TASK
LEVEL OF PROCESSING
(deep/medium/shallow)
A random list of numbers
A list of English words which are
printed on a sheet of paper
A list of English words which you have
to use appropriately in a sentence.
A list of foreign words which are read
out to you
E.Day/Cog/LOPTheory
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Experimental Evidence For The Levels of Processing Approach

Most of the research investigating this theory has used a technique called
incidental learning. In incidental learning tasks you are presented with items
without being told you are going to be tested on them later. So the memory test
that comes later is a surprise. This contrasts with intentional learning where
you know ahead of time that your memory will be tested for what you are being
presented with.
Why use incidental learning? Incidental learning is used because if you told people
their memories were going to be tested later on, its likely they would try to deeply
process the materials so that they would do well on the test. So you would lose the
ability to compared deep processing with shallow processing. Everybody would be
deeply processing everything !!!!!!!

In addition to using incidental learning, research on levels of processing also
makes use of orienting tasks. An orienting task is a task that causes people to
engage in a certain level of processing. (Does this word contain the letter E?;
Does this word rhyme with nurse?; Is this something people keep money in?)
Classic Research : Craik & Tulving (1975)
AIM : to identify the influence of different levels of processing ( deep or shallow)
on accuracy of recall.
METHOD :
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Subjects were presented with a list of words.
They were divided into 3 groups.
Each group had a list of questions relating to the words.
Some questions emphasized the look of the word . The orienting task was the
visual presentation of the word. (SPEECH : Is the word in capital letters?)
Some questions emphasized the sound of the word. Thus the orienting task for
these words was a phonemic orienting task (SPEECH: Does it rhyme with
"each"?)
Some questions emphasized the meaning of the word. Thus the orienting task
for these words was a semantic orienting task. (SPEECH: Is it a form of
communication?)
E.Day/Cog/LOPTheory
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RESULTS : Subjects were able to recognize 42% of the words that had been
phonemically processed and 81% of the words that had been semantically
processed.
This finding is really easy to replicate and tons of people since then have shown
that semantic processing improves memory relative to other more "shallow"
forms of processing.
CONCLUSION :
Activity : Can you think of any limitations of the research method used
here????
E.Day/Cog/LOPTheory
3
Getting DEEPER into Depth of Processing
Remember that memory is cued recall – hints or tips to get information out of
storage.
Elaboration : One way of understanding why deep processing should lead to better
memory is that deep processing may lead to a more elaborate mental
representation. By elaborate we simply mean that the representation of the word
becomes associated with a greater number of other things and a more coherent set
of other things. Thus there should be more potential retrieval pathways ( a lot of
different cues should all work)
Distinctiveness : A second way of understanding why deep processing should lead
to better memory is that deeply processed items become more distinctively
represented. Making items distinctive means that the cues will match one and only
one item e.g. thinking about a fish includes cues about it being slimy, wet, edible
etc. whereas thinking about a bicycle gives cues about physical activity with the
bike, pedals etc. (You can’t ride a fish or eat a bike!)…..(no you can’t – this is not
the time to have creative ideas about bikes made of spongecake etc!!!!!)
Complaints Against Levels of Processing
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Perhaps the biggest complaint made by some people was that there didn't seem
to be any clear way of defining what one means by DEEP versus SHALLOW
processing. Defining deep versus shallow could become circular because there
doesn't seem to be any independent way of defining deep and shallow.
A further issue is the fact that we have no way to objectively measure deep or
shallow processing as these are hidden processes within the brain – a major
problem with any model trying to explain any cognitive process.
Another main argument against Levels of Processing Theory was that it didn't
explain why deeper processing should lead to better memory.
Another complaint against Levels of Processing Theory was that it didn't do a
good job explaining why different tasks that are presumably at the same level
should produce different levels of performance e.g. semantic processing of
some items leads to better recall than with others.
E.Day/Cog/LOPTheory
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