Attention Flashcards
Selective attention- what is the auditory system
- The cocktail party effect- tracking one conversation in the distraction of other conversations
- auditory systems can switch the attention and turn from pjs sound source to another - the binaural effect to sound localisation
Selective attention- visual special attention
Visual spatial attention
• if a fixation point is fixed, but attends to another region without eye movement the stimuli in the covertly is better than the stimuli in the rest of the field.
Filter theory
- filter takes place at sensory level based physical characteristics
- colour, sound, frequency, location
- only one channel of sensory info is allowed to proceed to the filter to reach process of perception and cognition.
Broadbent’s Model (1958)
- unattended messages can be processed at a semantic level. For example- training
- processing with no awareness
Attenuation theory of attention (1964) selective attention
- Attenuator- the analysis of the incoming message in terms of physical, language and meaning.
- dictionary unit contains words with threshold.
The leaky filter model
- important words have low thresholds, a week signal in the unattended channel can active the word. ( hearing our name a cross the room)
- uncommon or unimportant words have higher thresholds so it takes a stroke single or the attended message in order to active the words.
- the attended message gets through. But some parts are weaker such as unattended messages.
Late selection theory
- info can be filtered at different levels of processing depending on the task need.
- McKay (1973) load theory of attention
- processing capacity- how much info an individual can hold at any moments
- perceptual load- difficulty of a given task
- high load- difficult- uses high processing capacity
- low load- easy- use less processing capacity
Different aspects of attention-
Automatic processing
- low attention demands
- associated with easy/ well practised tasks
- can occur without intention
Controlled processing
- high attention demands
- associated with- difficult tasks that may not become automatic even with practice
- needs intention
Stroop task
- automatic word reading interferes with colour naming even when we don’t try to read the words
- not intentionally controlled
Overt attention
Moving the eyes to look directly at an object or interest
Covert attention
Attending/ shifting attention to a location in the visual field- which is different from where the eyes are fixated
Overt vs covert attention
It’s been proposed that covert visual attention coevolved with the gaze control system and over shift or attention ruin may have been proceeded by covert attentional shifts
Inattentional blindness
A stimulus that is unattended and is not perceived even though a person may be looking directly at it
Change blindness
Inability to detect change in the environment
Divided attention
• practice enables people to do two things that were difficult at first.
• Schneider and shiffrin (1977)- divided attention between remembering targets and monitoring presented rapid stimuli.
• memory set- 1-4 targets
Test frames- can contain random dots. Targets and distractors
Distributed attentional processing
- alerting- achieving high sensitivity to incoming stimuli
- Orienting- focusing attention where visual targets may appear both over and covert.
- executive control1 occurs for tasks that involve conflict- stroop task
Default- mode network
- DMN- a network of active brain regions when the individual is not focused and the brain is resting.
- hypothesised to generated spontaneous thoughts during mind wandering and may relate to creativity.
- attentional control system would be activated for demanding cognitive tasks- dmn will be activated when the mind is wandering