Information Processing Theory

Information processing theory stipulates generally that the human mind functions and makes decisions in a manner similar to a computer: Inputs accrue from the social environment and the emotion reactivity system and are subsequently processed, leading ultimately to behavioral outputs. In the context of media psychology—how media can activate, shape, and sustain habitual patterns of human behavior—information processing theories offer a well‐elaborated framework for explaining how the unidirectional and transactional inputs of the media environment can lead to the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral outputs of the individual. This entry presents an overview of the research underpinning information processing theoretical approaches to understanding development and behavior, and delineates how these approaches can account for the role of media in socialization and social interaction over time.