Cognitive Perspective

Gestalt Psychology
Gestalt Theory (Kohler, Koffka, Wertheimer)

Gestalt is German word translated as

“form, pattern, configuration or
organized whole”. Gestalt refers to
people’s tendency to organize sensory
information into patterns or
relationships.
Examine the pictures below

What do you see?

Gestalt Principles
According to the gestalt psychologists
the way we form our perceptions
are guided by certain principles or
laws. These principles or
laws determine what we see or make
of things or situation.
Gestalt Principle
1.Law of Proximity
2.Law of Similarity
3.Law of Closure
4.Law of Good Continuation
5.Law of Good Pragnanz
6.Law of Figure/Ground
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Insight Learning (Wolfgang Kohler)
The more intelligent and experienced
an individual the more capable he
becomes in gaining insight.
The important aspect of learning was
not reinforcement, but the coordination
of thinking to create new
organizations. Insight is not
necessarily observable by another
person.
According to Kurt Lewin individuals has
inner and outer
forces that affect his perceptions and
also his learning
inner forces include his own motivation,
attitudes and feelings.
outer forces may include the attitude and
behavior of the teacher
and classmate.
Information Processing Theory

Is a cognitive theoretical
framework that focuses on how
knowledge enters
and is stored in and is retrieved
from our memory.
Types of Knowledge
 General vs Specific – knowledge is useful
 Declarative – factual knowledge
 Procedural – how to do things
 Episodic – memories of life events
 Conditional – knowing when and why

3 Primary Stages in IPT

 Encoding
 Storage
 Retrieval
Sensory Register

• Capacity - our mind receives a great

amount of information but
it is more than what our
minds can hold or perceive.
• Duration – the sensory register only holds
the information for an extremely
brief period (1-3 seconds)
Short Term Memory (STM or working memory)

Capacity: hold 5 - 9 “chunks” of information

Duration: around 18 seconds or less

To reduce the loss of information in 18

seconds you need to do maintenance
rehearsal. It is using repetition to keep the
information active
In STM, like when you repeat a phone
number just given over and over.
 Long Term Memory (LTM)

Capacity: LTM has unlimited capacity

Duration: indefinite
 Executive Control Processes

These processes guide the flow of information

through the system, help the learner make informed
decisions about how to categorize, organize or
interpret information
 Forgetting
Is the inability to retrieve or access information
when needed.

Decay – Information is not attended to, and

eventually ‘fades’away. Very prevalent
in Working Memory

Interface – New or old information ‘blocks’

access to the information question.
Methods for Retrieval of Information
 Rehearsal
 Meaningful Learning
 Organization
 Elaboration
 Visual Imagery
 Generation
 Context
 Personalization

Other Memory Methods

 Serial Position Effect
 Part Learning
 Distributed Practice
 Mnemonics Aids
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Gagne’s Conditions of Learning

Gagne’s theory deals with all aspects of

learning. The focus of the theory is on
intellectual skills. Gagne looked into the role of
instructional technology in learning.
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Ausubel’s Meaningful Verbal Learning /
Subsumption Theory
Knowledge is hierarchically organized; that new
information is meaningful to the extent that it can
be related to what is already known

The most important factor influencing learning is

the quantity, clarity and organization of the
learner’s present knowledge. Meaningful learning
takes place when an idea to be learned is related
in some sensible ways to ideas that the learner
already possesses.
4 Processes of Meaningful Learning
Derivative Subsumption
Correlative Subsumption
Superordinate Learning
Combinatorial Learning

Subsumption means a process by which new

material is related to relevant ideas in the existing
cognitive structure
Types of Advance Organizers

Expository – describes the new content

Narrative – presents the new information in the

form of a story to students

Skimming – done by looking over the new

material to gain overview

Graphic Organizer – visuals to set up or outline

the new information
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Video Presentation 8
Thank You!