Psychology

The information that is stored in the memory about the things, ideas, events and so on is what we called as knowledge (Sternberg, 2009 255). Cognition refers to the process by which knowledge is derived. According to Allan Paivio, two codes represent information. These are analogue codes and symbolic codes. Analogue codes are forms of knowledge representation that preserves the main perpetual features of whatever is being represented for the physical stimuli we observe (Sternberg, 2009 261). On the other hand, symbolic code refers to arbitrary representation for something and that does not perceptually resemble whatever is being represented (Sternberg, 2009 261).

To understand how these codes work, consider the abstract notion of the number seven. People in a society represent this idea as a written symbol 7 or VII and call this symbol with the English word seven, the French word sept or the Italian word sette. A more concrete example would be to represent actual objects such as a dog. The term dog is merely a word that symbolizes the actual domestic animal under the genus Canis (Serpel, 2008 32). Nonetheless, the term dog could be represented verbally in different ways, in the same way as the notion of seven has different verbal representations.

If two people from different cultures communicate with different languages, they would not be able to understand each other because the manner of representing knowledge is different. For example, a sign written plainly in a building says beware of dogs. However, the warning is written in Spanish as tener cuidado con perros. A person without knowledge of the Spanish language will not be able to comprehend the sign tener cuidado con perros. Thus, to be able to convey a resemblance of the actual object, pictures or pictorial images could be use. It would be useful if there were pictures that accompany the sign tener cuidado con perros. A drawing of the dogs shape or an actual picture of a dog would make the warning more effective.

According to the definitions made by Paivio, it is clear that the picture is an analogue code whereas the number 7 and the word dog are symbolic codes. These two codes are both important to be able to convey meaning and to be able to store information. There are things that could not be represented by symbols. As explained above, symbols or verbal representations differ from one language to another. On the other hand, pictures are analogical to the actual object. However, pictures could not explain abstract ideas. For example, pictures could not represent the idea of peace and honesty because there are no concrete and spatial objects that are equivalent to these terms.

Paivio further claimed that people use both analogue and symbolic codes to represent information and organize it into knowledge (Sternberg, 2009 261). This is known as the dual-code theory. According to this theory, a person uses both codes implying that analogue codes do not operate in the same way as symbolic codes. To examine the relevance of this claim, consider using the two codes at same time and using the same code at the same time. First, the analogue code of drawing a dog and the symbolic code of telling what 7 is all about. Then, consider telling what seven is all about while writing the general description of a dog. Lastly, imagine earthworms while drawing an ostrich. Among these three the task, the easiest would be using different codes at the same time.

The two codes assist learning by providing mental images or mental representations of the objects and ideas. For example, the word beware gives us mental images of the things we should beware such as falling debris in construction sites, dogs or other animals, etc. The word gives a warning that we should be more careful about our actions.  The photo of a rose garden provides the mental image of the rose garden.

According to the study made by Paivio, Smythe, and Yuille in 1968 concrete words are easier to remember than abstract words (Weiten, 2008 279). Concrete words are symbolic codes that have an analogue code, or could be expressed through pictures or visual images. Abstract words are words that do not have a corresponding analogue code. The study illustrates that it is easier to remember high-imagery words.

Indeed, this observation could explain how children learn faster with the use of visual aids. When I was in grade school, I learned about the water cycle and the process of digestion when images accompany the explanations. If there were no images, it would be too hard to grasp this concept especially for young children. Thus, Paivio suggested that using two codes could enhance learning and memory.