Attention

Question 1

What is “Attention”?

Answer 1

Attention is the cognitive ability that allows us to deal with the inherent processing limitations of the human brain by selecting information for further processing.

Question 2

What are the brain structures mediating arousal?

Question 3

What are the brain structures mediating vigilance and sustained attention?

Question 4

Different types of attentional abilities?

Answer 4

-arousal
-vigilance
-selective attention
-divided attention

Question 5

What is the reticular activation system (RAS)?

Answer 5

A set of brainstem neurons that receives input from the cranial nerves and projects diffusely to many other regions of the brain; relies on the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Important for overall arousal and attention, and for regulation of sleep-wake cycles

Question 6

What are the two general routes through which the cells in the ascending RAS connect to the cortex?

Question 7

What are the four general categories that psychologist sort attention into?

Answer 7

-arousal
-vigilance and sustained attention
-selective attention
-divided attention

Question 8

Brain structures mediating vigilance and sustained attention

Question 9

bottom-up attentional selection

Answer 9

Attention-directing schema in which some intrinsic aspect the stimulus itself causes it to be attended or to receive in priority processing

Question 10

top-down attentional selection

Answer 10

Attention-directing schema in which the individual determines how to direct attention based on task goals, instructions, or higher-level decisions