What does the term "information theory" refer to in the context of the cognitive revolution?

The term "information theory" in the context of the cognitive revolution refers to the study of how information is processed and communicated. This field emerged as a fundamental concept during the shift from behaviorism to a focus on internal mental processes, emphasizing the importance of understanding not just what behaviors are exhibited in response to stimuli, but how information is encoded, stored, and retrieved by the mind.

Information theory provides a quantitative framework for understanding the transmission of information and the efficiency of communication systems. It considers factors such as the amount of information, encoding strategies, and the potential for errors in transmission—all of which are crucial for understanding cognitive processes such as perception, memory, and decision-making. This theoretical foundation helped bridge the gap between psychology and other disciplines like computer science and engineering, influencing the development of models that describe mental processes in ways that are analogous to information systems.

In contrast, the other options do not align with the primary focus and contributions of information theory to cognitive psychology. A psychological framework for understanding emotions, measuring learning outcomes, or biological processes does not capture the essence of how information is systematically dealt with in cognitive functions.