Information Processing, Human Error and the Learning Process — Page 160, Lesson 253

I want to walk you through the next part of our discussion on information processing. We've looked at memory, and now I want to talk about a specific type of memory failure and then move into how we actually make decisions and execute actions. First, let's talk about amnesia. Amnesia means loss of memory. Now, importantly, it commonly affects only one specific type of memory: episodic memory. That's the memory for events and experiences in your life. A sufferer might be unable to recall events in his life — basic things like "Is he married?", "What is his job?", "Where does he live?" However, if you ask that same person to "take the third door on the left and sit in the blue chair," he will remember the meanings of words and numbers. That's because those facts are held in his semantic memory, which is the memory for general knowledge, meanings, and concepts. So amnesia can wipe out the personal life story while leaving the general knowledge intact. Now, let's move to the Central Decision Maker and Response Selection. Once information has been perceived, a decision must be made about what response to give. For example, on hearing a warning sound, the operator may switch off the system — that's a selected response — or he may hold the information in memory while a search is made for the problem that triggered the warning. Information is continuously entered into and withdrawn from both long-term and short-term memories to assist this decision process. For example, Air Traffic Control may require a change to a new frequency. The frequency number itself will be stored in your short-term memory while you dial it in. But how to select a frequency — the procedure, the button sequence — that is stored in your long-term memory. Now, here's a critical point. We sometimes feel that we can make several decisions at the same time. This is strictly untrue. The central decision maker can only process one decision at a time. This is its chief limitation. This is known as single channelled processing. Now, you might think, "If that's true, how can we fly an aircraft and hold a conversation at the same time?" That would be multi-tasking, which shouldn't be possible with a single channel. To satisfy this fundamental requirement of life, we are able to learn skills through motor programmes. Let's introduce Motor Programmes, also called skills, sometimes referred to as procedural memory. These are behavioural sub-routines. They are learnt by practice and/or repetition, and they are held within the long-term memory. The key feature is that they can be carried out without conscious thought. For clarity, the information processing model — and you can see this in Figure 8.1 — shows them separated from the long-term memory, even though they are stored there, to highlight that they operate automatically. A skill is an organized and coordinated pattern of activity. It may be physical, social, linguistic, or intellectual. Now, how do we develop a motor programme or skill? There are three distinct phases. First is the cognitive phase. In this phase, the learner thinks consciously about each individual action. Every step is deliberate and requires full attention. Second is the associative phase. Here, the separate components of the overall action become integrated. The movements start to flow together, but you're still thinking about them. Third is the automatic phase. This is when the total manoeuvre can be executed smoothly without conscious control. It's become a habit, a skill you don't have to think about. These skills, or motor programmes, are essential in many tasks. It is only the ability to fly the aircraft using these skills that enables the pilot to send and receive RT messages without losing control of the aircraft. The motor programmes fly the aircraft, while the central processing unit — your conscious decision-maker — deals with the communication. If, however, flying the aircraft becomes non-routine, then the motor programme may break down, and you have to revert to conscious control. That's a critical point for you as a pilot to understand.