8. Attention and Cognitive control

Question 1

Perceptual load reduces ____

Answer 1

Distraction

Question 2

In the response competition flanker task, participants were asked to remember digits during each trial. What were the two different conditions?

Answer 2

1. Low cognitive load (1 digit)
2. High cognitive load (6 digits)

Question 3

Distractor interference ____ under high cognitive load

Answer 3

increased

Question 4

Cognitive load increases interference from ____ ____ distractor

Answer 4

Colour singleton

Question 5

Perceptual load ____ distractor processing and ____ inattention blindness

Answer 5

reduces, increases

Question 6

Cognitive load ____ distractor processing

Answer 6

Increases

Question 7

Carmel et al (2012) had pts classify names and ignore faces and then gave a surprise test for faces. What were the results?

Answer 7

Low load: Chance level (50%) accuracy in memory test
High load: ~80% accuracy

Question 8

Visual perceptual load ____ distraction

Answer 8

reduces

Question 9

Cognitive load ____ distraction

Answer 9

Increases

Question 10

Different types of load have ____ effects on attention

Answer 10

Opposite

Question 11

The load theory states that availability of ____ ____ determines whether distractors receive further processing

Answer 11

Perceptual capacity

Question 12

The load theory states that ____ ____ is required to inhibit any distractors that make it to late selection

Answer 12

Cognitive control

Question 13

What did pts have to do in the “Operation Span” task?

Answer 13

Simultaneously perform simple maths and read words
Test recall of words

Question 14

What is Operation Span task related to? What is it argued that it assesses?

Answer 14

Fluid intelligence
Assesses efficiency of prefrontal functioning

Question 15

Individuals with low working memory capacity show increased:
1. S____ interference
2. R____ c____ interference
3. “Own n____ break through” in d____ listening

Answer 15

1. Stroop
2. Response competition
3. Name, dichotic (High WM participants detected name 20%, Low WM participants detected name 65%)

Question 16

Individuals with better cognitive control are ____ distracted

Answer 16

Less

Question 17

Patients with damage to ____/____ regions show problems in attention and cognitive control

Answer 17

Frontal/parietal

Question 18

Attention modulates ____ activation related to ____

Answer 18

Neural, perception

Question 19

In fMRI spatial cuing studies, there was a visual cortical response to…
And a Frontal-parietal activation at time…

Answer 19

Visual cortical response to cued location: Effect of attention
Frontal-parietal activation at time of cue: Mechanisms orienting attention

Question 20

The presence vs absence of singleton distractors is associated with what two things?

Answer 20

1. Reaction time interference
2. Frontal and parietal activation

Question 21

In fMRI attentional capture tasks, frontal activation negatively predicted what?

Answer 21

Behavioural interference

Question 22

Incongruent vs congruent distractions are associated with what two things?

Answer 22

1. Reaction time interference
2. Frontal recruitment
   (- Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)
   - Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC))

Question 23

People high in anxiety recruited less D____ p____ c____ and A____ C____ C____

Answer 23

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Question 24

Frontal regions are activated during ____ attention

Answer 24

Sustained

Question 25

Mind-wandering positively relates to what?

Answer 25

External task-irrelevant distraction
As well as failures of sustained attention

Question 26

Some frontal regions are involved in what two things, making it challenging to study attentional control of mind-wandering?

Answer 26

1. Attentional control
2. Generating task-unrelated thought

Question 27

Kane et al (2007) found high working memory capacity associated with reduced ____ during attentionally ____ tasks

Answer 27

mind-wandering, demanding

Question 28

Levinson et al (2012) found high working memory capacity was associated with ____ mind-wandering during ____ ____ ____ response competition task

Answer 28

Increased, low perceptual load