Final answer:
The information processing model represents the cognitive viewpoint and uses the computer as a metaphor, highlighting the similarities between how the human mind and computers process information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The information processing model is best understood as a representation of the cognitive viewpoint and employs the computer as a metaphor. The correct answer to the question is b) Cognitive; computer.
Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that focuses on the study of human thinking. The information processing model compares the mind to a computer's software and the brain to the computer's hardware, highlighting the analogy that both a computer and a brain process information, make decisions, and generate outputs based on internal computations or programs.
The cognitive revolution cemented the idea that the human mind functions similarly to a computer, where the brain processes information gathered by the senses, stored memories, and generates outputs through thinking. This view illustrates how thinking and computation are intertwined, with cognitive processes allowing individuals to interpret situations and behave in accordance with those interpretations.