Page 1 - LN 2_Human Memory

Class XI

Chapter 7

Human Memory

Module 2

(Topic: Levels of Processing, Types of Long-Term Memory)

LEVELS OF PROCESSING

The levels of processing view was proposed by Craik and Lockhart in 1972.

This view suggests that the processing of any new information relates to the manner in which
it is perceived, analysed, and understood which in turn determines the extent to which it will

eventually be retained.

Craik and Lockhart proposed that it is possible to analyse the incoming information at more

than one level.

LEVELS-

1. First and shallowest level of processing

➢ We analyse any stimuli in terms of its physical or structural features.

➢ For example, one might attend only to the shape of letters in a word say cat -
inspite of whether the word is written in capital or small letters or the colour of

the ink in which it is written.

2. Intermediate level

➢ Here, we attend to the phonetic sounds that are attached to the letters and

therefore the structural features are transformed into at least one meaningful

word say, a word cat that has three specific letters.

3. Third and the deepest level

➢ At which to ensure that the information is retained for a longer period, it is

important that it gets analysed and understood in terms of its meaning.
Analysing information in terms of its structural and phonetic features amounts to
shallower processing while encoding it in terms of the meaning it carries (the semantic