Attention

Question 1

What are the four key inter-related themes about attentional processes?

Answer 1

1. Constantly presented with more info than we can attend to.
2. There is a limit to the amount of info we can attend to.
3. Some tasks can be performed without attention.
4. Practice can make complicated tasks less demanding on attention.

Question 2

What does it mean that attention is limited?

Answer 2

Attention has a finite capacity, and phenomena like attentional blink occur when two targets are presented close in time, often causing us to miss the second target.

Question 3

What is automatic attentional capture?

Answer 3

Automatic attentional capture refers to involuntary attention drawn by salient stimuli, such as a loud bang in a library.

Question 4

What is controlled attention?

Answer 4

Controlled attention is the deliberate allocation of attention that requires effort and taxes attentional resources.

Question 5

What is feature binding?

Answer 5

Feature binding is a visual task that separates automatic and controlled attentional processes, as demonstrated by Treisman & Gelade (1980).

Question 6

What are feature trials in feature binding?

Answer 6

In feature trials, set size does not influence reaction time for target present trials, as attention captures the target automatically.

Question 7

What are conjunction trials in feature binding?

Answer 7

In conjunction trials, set size influences reaction time for both target present and absent trials, requiring serial search for targets.

Question 8

What is inhibition of return?

Answer 8

Inhibition of return is a mechanism that prevents us from revisiting areas we’ve already searched, allowing for more efficient search.

Question 9

What is covert attention?

Answer 9

Covert attention refers to orienting attention to a location without directly looking at it.

Question 10

What is overt attention?

Answer 10

Overt attention involves the movement of the eyes to fixate on a location of interest.

Question 11

What is the spotlight metaphor in attention?

Answer 11

The spotlight metaphor suggests that attention moves through spaces like a spotlight, with the ability to focus broadly or narrowly.

Question 12

What is the cocktail party effect?

Answer 12

The cocktail party effect describes our ability to focus on a conversation while tuning out others, highlighting selective auditory attention.

Question 13

What characteristics do we use to filter irrelevant information

Answer 13

Physical Characteristics such as sex of the speaker changing, important semantic content and non-speech noises

Question 14

What are early filter models in attention?

Answer 14

Early filter models, like Broadbent’s, suggest that attention operates before semantic processing, filtering out unattended information.

Question 15

What is an example of early filtering of visual infomation

Answer 15

change blindness which is where an individual will not notice significant changes as they are not paying attention

Question 16

What is Treisman’s filter model?

Answer 16

Treisman’s model posits that filtering occurs at a later stage, allowing for some semantic processing of unattended messages.

Question 17

What is evidence for late filtering

Answer 17

Stroop test - slower reaction times when the text and ink were incongruent compared to congruent

Question 18

What is perceptual load theory?

Answer 18

Perceptual load theory states that the type of attentional filtering observed depends on the complexity of stimuli in the environment.

Question 19

What is passive filtering

Answer 19

Processing physical aspect of stimuli

Question 20

What is active central resource

Answer 20

high level of processing and decision making

Question 21

What is low perceptual load

Answer 21

all items pass through the filter and processed at higher levels

Question 22

What is high perceptual lod

Answer 22

task relevant items are passed through the filter and processed by central resources