Psychologists investigating theoretical and computer models of human cognitive processing study how information is encoded, stored, and retrieved. In a study using a flight simulator, participants are asked to track coordinates while managing radio communications. Afterwards, they describe their cognitive experiences:

• Response X: 'I could only hold about five or six coordinates in my mind at one time; the moment a new coordinate appeared, the oldest one was immediately pushed out and forgotten.'
• Response Y: 'My brain worked like a computer processor: it took in the raw visual screen data as input, searched my memory database to find the correct rule, and then sent an output command to my hands.'