Attention Flashcards
What is the difference between covert and overt attention?
Covert attention refers to attending to an area of space using just your mind (not eyes; object of attention is in peripheral vision)
Overt attention refers to attending moving your eyes to directly focus on the object of attention
What is an attentional set?
A mental template to help identify an object
- used in top-down systems (DAN)
- can consist of locations, features, or associated features
- operates by identifying shared features between template and stimuli
When you hold an attentional set, relevant neurons are primed to respond, and competing neurons (that attend to other areas or features) are suppressed –> biased competition
What is the neuronal mechanism underlying an attentional set?
Biased competition: groups of neurons are tuned to respond to specific stimuli (patterns, lines, etc that relate to what you are looking for)
- target neurons preemptively fire
- competing neurons will be suppressed
- occurs primarily in DAN
What are classic models of selective attention and their underlying brain systems?
Top-down attention - dorsal attention network
- systematic, conscious, controlled, goal-directed
Bottom-up attention - ventral attention network
- automatic, works despite goals (involuntary), feature-based
What is selective attention?
It determines what we perceive of the world – what we are actually aware of in our environment or our thoughts
- can be overt (direct eye focus) or covert (peripherals)
What is sustained attention?
It keeps us on task when we are required to attend to low attentional/mundane stimuli for long durations
Overt attention
done or shown openly –> eyes are moved to the object that attention is being paid to
Covert attention
not openly acknowledged or displayed –> attention is paid to an area or object without eye movemtn to look at it
- much quicker attention switch (milliseconds, vs 10th of second to move eyes)
What is the focus in the study of selective attention?
How we filter the visual information down so that we see what is important (relevant) and don’t see what isn’t
What test measures sustained attention?
Sustained Attention to Response Test (SART)
What does the dorsal attention network do?
Increases activity in regions that map onto goal-relevant space/features
- frontal eye fields (FEF)
- intraparietal sulcus (IPS)
- visual cortex
- top-down processes
What does the ventral attention network do?
Draws your attention to things that are loud, bright, sudden, etc regardless of your goals
- ventral frontal cortex (VFC)
- temperoparietal junction (TPJ)
- visual cortex
- bottom-up processes
What is meant by feature-based attention and task-based attention?
feature-based: bottom-up, mediated by VAN
task-based: top-down, mediated by DAN
According to Rosenberg et al., which specific attentional functions make up the process (construct) of sustained attention?
Information selection
Inhibition of unselected information
What is a construct?
A psychological process
Operationalization for an experiment = finding a way to measure it (some type of performance in a task that we think will capture the cognitive process well)
