parallel distributed processing

psychological model

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

Parallel distributed processing (PDP) is a psychological model that views the human brain as a network of simple processors operating in parallel. Information is stored in a distributed manner across these connections, rather than in specific locations. This approach is also known as connectionism and is inspired by the way neurons in the brain function.1

PDP emphasizes two key features:
* Parallel Operation: Numerous simple processors (neurons) work simultaneously.1
* Distributed Storage: Information is spread across the entire network of connections, not localized to a single point.1

This model has been applied to understand learning and memory, with experiments demonstrating how networks can learn to perform tasks like forming past tenses of verbs through generalization. PDP is a significant area within cognitive psychology and cognitive science, often drawing parallels with computer science's information-processing models.1234

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cognitive science
Approaches
approach, known as connectionism, or parallel-distributed processing, emerged in the 1980s. Theorists such as Geoffrey Hinton, David Rumelhart, and James McClelland argued that human thinking can be represented in structures called artificial neural networks, which are simplified models of the neurological structure of the brain. Each network consists of simple…
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approach, known as connectionism, or parallel-distributed processing, emerged in the 1980s. Theorists such as Geoffrey Hinton, David Rumelhart, and James McClelland argued that human thinking can be represented in structures called artificial neural networks, which are simplified models of the neurological structure of the brain. Each network consists of simple…
Read More

human intelligence
Cognitive theories
Possible solutions have included “parallel distributed processing” models of the mind, as proposed by the psychologists David E. Rumelhart and Jay L. McClelland. These models postulated that many types of information processing occur within the brain at once, rather than just one at a time.
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Possible solutions have included “parallel distributed processing” models of the mind, as proposed by the psychologists David E. Rumelhart and Jay L. McClelland. These models postulated that many types of information processing occur within the brain at once, rather than just one at a time.
Read More