Attention Flashcards
Attention
The process of selecting or focusing on one or more stimuli
Overt attention
Occurs when focus coincides with the sensory orientation
Covert attention
The focus is independent of the sensory orientation
Cocktail party effect
Selective attention filters out stimuli not being attended to
Shadowing experiments
Subjects must focus on just one of two or more simultaneous stimuli
Dichotic presentation
Simultaneous delivery of different stimuli to left and right ears
Inattentional blindness
Failure to perceive non attended visual stimuli (demonstrated by gorilla video)
Divided-attention tasks
Subjects are asked to process two or more simultaneous stimuli. Show that attention is a limited resource
Attentional spotlight
Shifts around the environment highlighting stimuli for processing
Attentional bottleneck
Works as a filter to select on the most important stimuli for processing
Early-selection model of attention
Filtering occurs at the sensory level and non attended information never reaches higher-order cognitive processes
Late-selection model of attention
Filtering occurs later after substantial unconscious processing has occurred
Best model of attention
Combination of both
Perceptual load
The immediate processing demands presented by stimulus, determines how much of our perceptual resources are used
Sustained-attention task
A single stimulus must be held in the spotlight for an extended period of time
Voluntary attention
Attention is directed towards aspects of the environment according to our interests and goals (slower)
Reflexive attention (exogenous attention)
Involuntary reorienting of attention toward a sudden or important event (rapid)
Feature search
A search in which the target pops out right away due to a unique attribute
Conjunction search
A search based on two or more feature that together distinguish the target (eg. where’s Waldo)
Event-related potential (ERP)
Averaging EEG’s during several repeated trials
Auditory attention produces a uniqe ____
ERP
What do the waves look like for auditory attention
100-150 ms after a sound stimulus two large waves appear, a positive wave followed by a larger negative wave
P20-50 effect
A positive wave early in the recording
P3 effect
Occurs later in ERP and may reflect higher order processing
Visual P1 effect
The appearance of a positive wave that occurs when the stimulus is a valid cue but not invalid
Superior colliculus in attention
Guides movement of the eyes towards objects of attention
Pulvinar in attention
Involved in orienting, shifting attention, and filtering of stimuli in visual processing
Lateral intraparietal area
Crucial for endogenous attention in monkeys (intraparietal sulcus in humans)
Frontal eye field
Directs gaze according to cognitive goals rather than the characteristics of the stimuli
Event-related fMRI
Allows visualization of network activity during top-down attentional processing
Tempoproparietal junction (TPJ)
Steers attention toward novel or unexpected stimuli
Consciousness
Dependent on attention, may be defined as being aware that we are conscious coupled with our perception of what is going on in our minds
Default mode network
Active when we are doing something reflective, and inactive when we are doing something intentional
Cognitively impenetrable
Basic neural processing operations that cannot be experience through introspection
Easy problem of consciousness
Understanding how particular patterns of neural activity create specific conscious experience
Hard problem of consciousness
Understanding brain processes that produce people subjective experiences of their conscious perspectives
Qualia
Purely subjective experiences of perceptions, impossible to communicate to others
Executive function
The high level control needed to attend to important stimuli and make plans
Frontal lobe injury changes
-Persistent apathy, bouts of euphoria
-Impulsive behavior
-Lack of concern for past or future
-Forgetfulness
-Trouble task shifting
Perseverate
Show repeated behaviours
Neuroeconomics
Study of brain mechanisms during economic decision making
Valuation system
: ranks choices based on their perceived worth and value. Ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Choice system
Sifts through the choices and makes a decision. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
