31. Januar 2015

IS Research – Group: Information Overload

Working Memory in IS Research

Philipp Hechler

31. Januar 2015 2IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler

• Research Question

• Basic: Cognitive Load Theory

• Results - Example: Zhu and Watts, 2010

• Discussion

Agenda

31. Januar 2015 3IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler

Research Question

How is human “working memory utilization”

analyzed IS research?

Cognitive Load

TheoryCognitive psychology

Assumtion

Result

How is study working memory in psychology?

31. Januar 2015 4IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler

Research Question

How is human “working memory utilization”

analyzed IS research?

Cognitive Load

TheoryCognitive psychology

Assumtion

How is study working memory in psychology?

Result

Information Systems literature analysis Theory used

Research foundHow is working memory

studied in IS research?

31. Januar 2015 5IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler

Basic: Cognitive Load Theory

Information processing (Plass et al., 2010)

Working MemorySensual

observation (not in

focus of CLT)

External Signal

Schema

Unusable results – no learning

Long-term memory (unlimited)

XOR

31. Januar 2015 6IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler

Basic: Cognitive Load Theory

Working MemorySensual

observation (not in

focus of CLT)

External Signal

Schema

Unusable results – no learning

Long-term mnemory

(unlimited)

XOR

Information processing (Plass et al., 2010)

Working memory (Plass et al., 2010)

31. Januar 2015 7IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler

Results - Example: Zhu and Watts, 2010

Zhu and Watts, 2010

Similar to Cognitive Load Theory definitions:Independent variables:• Information Load => Intrinsic Load

• Cognitive Fit => Extraneous Load

• WMC = Working Memory Capacity –same construct as in Cognitive Load Theory

Depending variable:• Task performance: understanding of data

presentation and answering question. (schema creation)

31. Januar 2015 8

Results - Example: Zhu and Watts, 2010

Zhu and Watts, 2010

Circle Force

31. Januar 2015 9IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler

Results - Example: Zhu and Watts, 2010

Results in line Cognitive Load Theory predictions:

• Intrinsic Load and Extraneous Load can “overflow” working memory (no capacity for Germane Load) low task performance (schema creation)

• Working Memory Capacity (WMC) only influences task performance when Intrinsic and Extraneous Load are high• only if overall load could overflow capacity, humans with high WMC could perform better

Cognitive Load Theory could have been applied here

Zhu and Watts, 2010

Circle Force

31. Januar 2015 10IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler

References:

• Paas, F., Renkl, A., Sweller, J., 2003a. Cognitive Load Theory and Instructional De-sign: Recent

Developments. Educ. Psychol. 38, 1–4. doi:10.1207/S15326985EP3801_1

• Plass, J.L., Moreno, R., Brünken, R., 2010. Cognitive load theory. Cambridge Uni-versity Press,

Cambridge; New York.

• Zhu, B., Watts, S.A., 2010. Visualization of Network Concepts: The Impact of Working Memory

Capacity Differences. Inf. Syst. Res. 21, 327–344. doi:10.1287/isre.1080.0215

Backup - References

31. Januar 2015 11IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler

Information Systems Research:

Why using “old” psychological models,

with “modern” image based medical brain activity scanners at hand?

Discussion

http://images.iop.org/objects/med/news/5/8/43/pic2.jpg

http://www.mccauslandcenter.sc.edu/green/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MR-EEG_data.gif

http://cobocards.s3.amazonaws.com/card/480_300/1/1s43l0214.jpg

V.S.

31. Januar 2015 12IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler

2. Question:

Is there a distinction between “learning” and “understanding” in short-term view?

Discussion

31. Januar 2015 13IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler