Attention in Space and Time Flashcards
What are the two visual searches and what are their characteristics, and what is a set size?
parallel search
> when the feature of the target object is simple and salient
> absent and present conditions both have a quick RT
> parallel search = rejecting distractors and spotting the target at the same time
serial search
> when there are multiple features that distinguish the target
> absent conditions are twice longer than the present conditions due to participants have to go through the stimuli one by one, and usually participants have to go through half of the stimuli before spotting the target (Self-Terminating)
The number of total stimulus that people have to search through (target + distractors)
Explain the Feature Integration Theory and the flaws
> there are different feature maps in the brain that correspond to the feature
the feature(s) of the stimulus evokes the corresponding feature map
the role of attention is to bind the features to form an object file
Parallel search does not require attention (only the activation of the feature map works), whilst serial search does
if attention is not used, illusory conjunction might occur
supported by many researches
Flaws
> sometimes high-level features predict pop-out
> not all simple searches are defined by simple features
> some slow searches are not serial searches; some fast searches are not parallel searches
> Wolfe (1998), visual search is not either parallel or serial, its more like a continuum, or efficient or inefficient
Explain the Guided Search Theory
1.0
> parallel search is done for all the stimuli presented
> similar stimuli will be added to the candidate list
> then serial search will be done on all candidates to look for the target
> the RT is determined by the size of the candidate list
2.0
> instead of just parallel searching all stimuli, there is a priority map that helps us identify the priority of which stimuli should be scanned first (e.g., by the salience of the stimuli)
6.0
> instead of just the priority map, the priority is also ordered by the semantic interpretation of the scene
Explain the Stroop experiment (and the explanation) and characteristics of automaticity
Stroop experiment
> compatible condition: the word matches with the colour
> neutral condition: the word is a non-colour word
> incompatible condition: the word does not match the colour
explanation
> colour naming (slow and controlled)
> word naming (fast and automatic)
> The two processes race to the output, since the word naming is quicker > the tendency to produce the word
automaticity
> stimulus-response association
> fast, parallel, effortless, doesn’t require capacity
> essential for skill learning and acquisition
Explain the Controlled and Automatic Processing experiment by Shiffrin & Schneider
setup
> have a memory set that the participants have to remember
> rapid sequences that the participants have to response whether the items in the memory set is present
conditions
consistent mapping (CM) = distinct sets and distractors
varied mapping (VM) = the type of the target stimulus is on the distractors list
results
> CM
> higher accuracy after multiple trials
> effortless and seems to “pop out”
> the memory set size and rapid sequence do not seem to matter
> VM = does not reach automaticity level
Explain the Eriksen Flanker Task and the zoom-in theory
similar to the stroop test
zoom in theory
attention helps us gradually zoom into the middle stimulus
Explain the Attentional Blink experiment (setup and results)
setup
> string of rapid sequence
> participants have to identify T1 and T2
results
> identification of the T1 does not affect much
> however, T2 is way hindered
> Lag 1 = not affected not (Lag 1 sparing)
> attentional blink starts from Lag 2
implications of attention blink experiment
attentional blink refers to the inhibition of identifying the T2
attention blink happens because the attention gate is shut when we encounter the T1
therefore if T2 appears close to the T1, the shut attention gate does not allow participants to locate the T2
however, Lag 1 sparing = shows that attention closes is delayed
