Attention

Question 1

What does attention require?

Answer 1

Focus, concentration, consciousness

Question 2

What are the features of attention?

Answer 2

• Selective
• Divided
• Limited capacity
• Interference
• Mental effort

Question 3

What is selective attention?

Answer 3

The ability to allocate limited resources to different tasks

Question 4

What is intentional selection of attention?

Answer 4

Purposefully attending to one source while inhibiting attention to others

Question 5

What is involuntary capture of attention?

Answer 5

Type of selective attention that occurs in response to an external stimuli (ex. Siri speaking during class so everyone looks)

Question 6

What is the Stroop Effect?

Answer 6

Naming the color of the print is easier if the color is congruent with the word (ex. easier to name the color blue print on the word “blue” than to name the color blue print on the word “red”)

Question 7

What is the Cocktail Party Problem?

Answer 7

When you hear two messages at the same time (dichotic hearing) this can happen when asked to “shadow” a message or when unattended stimuli is processed parallel with attended stimuli (listen to others while having a separate conversation)

Question 8

What is change blindness?

Answer 8

Intentionally processing specific visual information led to inability to process changes in other visual stimuli

Question 9

What is inattentive blindness?

Answer 9

Failure to see certain visual stimuli when engaged in specific search task

Question 10

What are some limitations to selective attention?

Answer 10

• Some irrelevant stimuli processed in parallel with intended stimuli (stroop effect, cocktail party effect)
• Inattention blindness

Question 11

What is interference?

Answer 11

Decreased ability to simultaneously perform two tasks, do not have the capacity to meet demand of both tasks

Question 12

What are the types of interference?

Answer 12

Structural interference: physical
Capacity interference: cognitive

Question 13

What are the characteristics of controlled processing in terms of mental effort?

Answer 13

• Slow
• Attention demanding (potential for interference)
• Serial
• Volitional

Question 14

What are the characteristics of automatic processing in terms of mental effort?

Answer 14

• Fast
• Not that attention demanding (little to no interference)
• Parallel
• Not volitional

Question 15

True or False
Processing is a continuum, meaning that a task that required controlled processing can transition to automatic processing with practice and repetition

Answer 15

True
A task that is completed often and consistently will gradually become more automatic

Question 16

Describe Single-Filter Channel Theories

Answer 16

• Assume fixed capacity for information processing
• Attention as a single resource directed at one of a number of processing operations
• Bottle neck theories (early vs late)

Question 17

What is the difference between the early and late bottle neck theories?

Answer 17

The early theories believe that the transition from parallel to serial processing begins early while the later theories believe that processing can remain parallel for longer before it becomes serial

Question 18

Describe the Flexible Allocation of Capacity Theory

Answer 18

• Theoretical interpretation of divided attention (capacity changes with changes in the task, maximum capacity exists)
• Parallel processing can occur in all information processing stages (attention can be placed on more than one stimulus at a time)

Question 19

Describe the Multiple Resource Theories

Answer 19

• Attention is made up of multiple pools or resources
• Task competes for attention from varying pools of resources
• Attention can be placed on both input and output stages simultaneously

Question 20

Describe the Action Selection Theory

Answer 20

• Stimuli processed in parallel early on and action choice causes interference
• Selection is a fundamental process of attention
• Interference among tasks occurs during planning/execution not during stimulus processing

Question 21

What are the Double-Stimulation Paradigm Findings?

Answer 21

• 2 signals that elicit 2 responses at the same time will increase reaction time and be processed as one complex stimuli
• Overlapping of stimuli can sometimes lead to quicker reaction times

Question 22

Describe attention during movement

Answer 22

• Not all movement requires attention
• Attention geared toward other aspects of the environment
• Attention may fine tune movements/control

Question 23

What is the secondary-task technique?

Answer 23

Subject performs a primary task and the secondary task will either be discrete (attention strongest at beginning and end of task) or continuous

Question 24

How can dual task interference be demonstrated?

Answer 24

• Decreased speed or quality of either task
• Decreased speed or quality in both tasks
• Secondary task unable to begin before completion of primary task

Question 25

External focus of attention enhances performance across…

Answer 25

• Skills
• Levels of expertise
• Age

Question 26

What is microchoking?

Answer 26

Shifting toward internal focus interferes with automaticity

Question 27

What can we do for our patients?

Answer 27

• Minimize distractions
• Promote attention
• Enhance performance
• Develop skill