MODULE 4. UNFOLDING THE MENTAL SELF


                                         MODULE 4. UNFOLDING THE MENTAL SELF
            When an individual is born, there are developmental milestones that are based on the individual’s senses. As they observe during their growing up stage, they observe the surroundings and the have the capability of analyzing information. They also have the ability to make their own choices and behave appropriately especially when they are out in public places. These are somewhat called sensor-based acquisition of knowledge. As a person grows, having the sensory-based it switched to a more logical and abstract manner thinking. They are starting to be complex to tasks and challenges because maturity enters their mind. Example of this is when a child starts to enter school; they begin with simple math such as counting numbers and as years of learning pass by, they face more difficult problems in algebra or in trigonometry because the intellectual competency level of the student is being tested an compared when they are still in grade school level. Having this example simply enlighten us that one’s mental capacity grows and expand in a progressive manner.
Cognition is one of those important part of a person’s development. It influences behavior just like how behavior influences cognition. Cognition is known by being the complex array of mental processes. These mental processes include remembering, perceiving, and thinking. Also, studying the process of how individual make choices and decisions are relevant on human development. When a person has the capacity to under how others think, that person has achieved also a greater understanding of himself and of others. Memory is a different story. Memory works continuously. Cognition focuses on higher-order thinking processes within an individual while memory serves as the storage area of all information that the mind received.
Our memory functions have three levels: sensory, short-term, and long-term. Sensory Memory is the level where information from the environment is perceived through our senses. It can be in a form of chemical or physical stimuli. In sensory memory, you do not much time just to remember the things; it can be remembered in just split of seconds. Short-term is also known as the working level of our mind. This is the part of our memory where information is temporarily restored. This part of our memory can only store 5-9 items and can remember the information from 10-15 seconds up to 1minute. When a specific information or event in our life is very significant, they are placed in the long-term part. Long-term allows the information to be stored for a very long time or it can be permanent. Long-term is limitless and immeasurable unlike the short-term. Intelligence is the individual’s capacity for understanding, learning planning and solving problems with logic, creativity and self-awareness. This is the time that an individual applies the knowledge in proper context whenever it is needed.

Cognition, memory and intelligence are considered as underlying mechanism that let people to process and apply information for daily adaptation. Learning on the other hand serves as a natural consequence of these mechanisms. Learning is the relatively permanent change in a person’s knowledge. Having the definition of learning means three things; first, change is long-term; second, source of change comes from within the external structures of memory; and lastly, change is attribute to the personal experience. As people learn in different ways, and having these ways, theories and model have been forwarded to understand and explain how learning occurs. Social Cognitive Theory is one of those theories. This theory talks about the value of social environment in one’s learning process that is already built on observational learning. This theory actually gave four stages in observational learning, which are attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation. There are also learning strategies that a student may remember or occur. (1) Taking down notes; (2) Asking questions during class sessions; (3) Creating cognitive maps; (4) Engaging in collaborative learning activities with mentors and peers and; (5)Going beyond the mandatory course requirements.

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