Dual-coding theory: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 08:09, 10 February 2007

Revision as of 01:18, 11 November 2007

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'''Dual-code theory''' a theory of cognition was first advanced by [[Allan Paivio]] of the University of Western Ontario. The theory posits that both visual and verbal information are processed differently and along distinct channels with the human mind creating separate representations for information processed in each channel. Both imaginedvisual and verbal codes for representing information are used to organize incoming information into knowledge that can be acted upon, stored, and retrieved for subsequent use.

Each channel also has limitations. For example, humans have difficulty simultaneously attending to multiple auditory or visual cues, depending on expertise with the task or prior knowledge with the subject area. For example, a television documentary that shows images of plant and animal life in a rain forest while also simultaneously providing narration that describes the animal life could potentially provide for improved learning using the dual-code theory because the visual and verbal information does not compete with each other.