Cognitive Models

By, So Shan Ying Atiqa Amir Nadiah Lamri

Cognitive models
McLaughlins attention-processing model

Implicit and explicit models

1. MCLAUGHLINS ATTENTION-PROCESSING MODEL

Processing mechanisms: controlled and automatic
Categories of attention: focal and peripheral to form 4 cells

ATTENTION TO FORMAL PROPERTIES OF LANGUAGE

Focal

INFORMATION PROCESSING
Controlled
( cell A) Performance based on formal rule learning

Automatic
( cell B) Performance in a test situation

Peripheral

(cell C) performance based (Cell D) performance in on implicit learning or communication analogic learning situations

CONTROLLED AND AUTOMATIC PROCESSES

Controlled processes
capacity limited and temporary as typical of anyone learning a brand new skill in which only a very few elements of the skill can be retained

Automatic processes
relatively permanent

Processing in a more accomplished skill- The hard drive of your brain can manage hundreds and thousands of bits of information simultaneously. a process of restructing

FOCAL AND PERIPHERAL

Both two processes can occur with either focal or peripheral attention to the behavior in question. Many controlled processes are focal, some are peripheral. (child first language learning or the learning of skills without any instructions). Many automatic processes are peripheral, some are focal. (in the case of an accomplished pianist performing in a concert or an experienced driver paying particular attention to the road on a

foggy night)

FOCAL AND PERIPHERAL

Every act of performing something, focal and peripheral attention actually occur simultaneously e.g. A very young child says to a parent Nobody dont like me Focal attention: conveying emotion, mental anguish or loneliness Peripheral attention: words and morphemes underlie the central meaning

Practical applications of McLaughlins attention- processing model

CONTROLLED: new skill, capacity limited
A. Grammatical explanation of a specific point - Word definition - Copy a written model - The first stages of memorizing a dialog - Prefabricated patterns - Various discrete-point exercises
C. Simple greetings - The later stages of memorizing a dialog - TPR/ Natural Approach - New L2 learner successfully completes a brief conversa`tion

AUTOMATIC: Well trained, practiced skill capacity is relatively unlimited

B. Keeping an eye out for something - Advanced L2 learner focuses on modals, clause formation, ect. - Monitoring oneself while talking or writing - Scanning - Editing, peer-editing
D. Open-ended group work - Rapid reading, skimming - Free writes - Normal conversational exchanges of some length

FOCAL intentional attention

PERIPHERAL

Child second language learning may consist of peripheral ( cells C and D) attention to language forms.

Most adult second language learning of language forms in the classroom involves a movement from cell A through a combination of C and B, to D (Dekeyser 1997) Peripheral, automatic attentionprocessing of the bits and pieces of language is a mainly communicative goal for language learners

Implicit vs. Explicit Messages

Implicit Message
Dictionary.com defines the word implicit as:
Implied or understood though not directly expressed.

Implicit Message
What is the implied message with this ad? Why might some people be angry about this?

Implicit Message
Even in the year 2012, some people are under the assumption that it is a womans role in life to clean and take care of the household. While its true that some women are still stay-at-home mothers, where it is their job to take care of the house and children, today, more than ever before, mothers and women are staying in the work force, even while theyre raising families. The stereotypical housewife is slowly going away in Canada. Therefore, some people find it rather offensive that the majority of cooking and cleaning product advertisements all contain women using these products.

Implicit Message

Implicit Message
This is an example of implicit advertising as it implies a rivalry between the mentioned car manufacturers (Subaru, BMW and Audi). The advertisement congratulates and shoots down the efforts of the other car manufacturers in one sentence, which could be considered as being quite patronising and again demonstrates the rivalry.

Implicit Message

Implicit Message
This is another example of implicit advertising which again implies a rivalry between two more car manufacturers, BMW and Jaguar. This advertisement uses no written communications whatsoever, just two car bonnets facing off to each other, like a head to head, showing more of the BMW making its presence more prominent implying its the more powerful car.

Explicit Message
Dictionary.com defines the word explicit as:
fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely implied; explicit instructions; explicit language. clearly developed or formulated: explicit knowledge; explicit belief.

Explicit Message
When you deconstruct an advertisement (or similar media text) you are using reading and thinking strategies to understand the messages. Some messages are very obvious (in your face!) and have what we call explicit messages. Here is an example of an explicit message:

Explicit Message

IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT MODELS

Explicit knowledge is information that is automatically and spontaneously used in language tasks

Implicit models are the facts that a person knows about language and the ability to articulate those facts in some way.

e.g. children implicitly learn phonological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic rules for language, but do not have access to an explanation, explicitly of those rules

IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT MODELS

Implicit processes enable a learner to perform language but not necessarily to cite rules governing the performance Bialystok later (1982) equated implicit and explicit with the synonymous terms unanalyzed and analyzed knowledge.

IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT MODELS

Unanalyzed knowledge is the general form in which we know most things without being aware of the structure of that knowledge; on the other hand, learners are overtly aware of the structure of analyzed knowledge. These same models feature a distinction between automatic and non- automatic processing, building on McLaughlins conception of automaticity. Automaticity refers to the learners relative access to the knowledge. Knowledge that can be retrieved easily and quickly is automatic. Knowledge that takes time and effort to retrieve is non- automatic.