Auditory Attention

Question 1

define endogenous attention

Answer 1

top down processing

goal driven intentional focus

Question 2

define exogenous attention

Answer 2

bottom up processing

stimulus driven and passive/attention grabbing ie alarm

Question 3

what are the main theories of auditory attention

Answer 3

broadbent (1958) filter theory
treisman (1964) attenuated filter theory
deutsch and deutsch (1963) late selection theory
Conway et al (2001) Working Memory

Question 4

describe Cherry (1953) cocktail party phenomenon

Answer 4

incredible achievement of auditory selective attention
focused attention on what the other person is saying means may not notices background sounds
BUT likely to hear your name mentioned by someone else in a different convo
Cherry developed dichotic listening task - presented with two messages, one to each ear via a set of headphone
ss repeat one message out loud to ensure attenuate

Question 5

what did Cherry (1963) find was still distinguished from the unattenuated streams

Answer 5

tend to be only physical properties
• Pitch of voice (male/female)
• Loudness
• Direction
dont notice change in language or the specific message being presented

Question 6

what did theory did broadbent (1958) establish

Answer 6

filter theory of attention

Question 7

how did Broadbent (1953) develop his theory

Answer 7

filter theory
asked ss to shadow (attentuate) to one message and ignore the other
asked questions relating to ignored message

noticed change in pitch or tone insertion
did not notice changes in laguage or the meaning of the message

Question 8

describe broadbent (1953) theory

Answer 8

two stage model - how the auditory system copes with two streams of info - have limited capacity for attention

1. parallel processing
   - incoming messages held in sensory store, and initial extraction of physical properties
2. Serial processing creating selective attention
   - filter out unwanted stimuli, filtered in stimuli processed futher

early position filter model - done consciously

Question 9

advantages of broadbant (1953)

Answer 9

accounts for cockatil party phen - very little info except gross physical feature of the unattended message get noticed

Question 10

disadvantages of broadbent (1953)

Answer 10

similar to other information processing theories - ignores meaning ie Searle’s Chinese Room - doesnt take into account the vast amount of background knowledge and experinece, and the influence of other factors to make decisions on attention - too simplistic

responses to retrospective questioning may be due to memory decay

Question 11

non supportive findings against broadbent (1953)

Answer 11

Underwood (1974) ss detect only 8% of target digits in non-shadowed message but Moray - practiced shaddower 67%
Wood and Cowan (1995) 34.6% hear own name in unattended
Gray and Wedderburn (1960) ss who hear mix of words and no in both ears report words together and no together - group by meaning
Treisman (1964) ss switch between two channels when messages are switched - If unattended not processed for meaning, ss wouldnt know that the messages have been switched

Question 12

name of non supportive studies against broadbent (1953)

Answer 12

underwood (1974) & moray
wood and cowan (1995)
grey and wedderburn (1960)
treisman (1964)

Question 13

how can the issue of memory decay be overcome in alternative auditory methodology

Answer 13

dichotomus message presentation
measure unconscious processing

Von Wright, Anderson & Stenman (1975)
pair “suitable” (unattenuated stream) with shock
repeat in new word list - galvanic skin response

Eich (1984)
ignore taxi, shaddow fair, spell fair ‘fare’

Question 14

describe Treisman (1964) theory

Answer 14

attentuated filter theory - early
information is processed in parallel and selection is made at a later stage
weakened message is still processed to some extent
done in a heirachy - physical properties to meaning

Question 15

advantages of treisman (1964)

Answer 15

explain wood and cowan (1995) own name phen

explain Gray and Wedderburn (1960) converge of two stream phen

Question 16

disadvantages of treisman (1964)

Answer 16

some evidence that even more information can be processed in the unshadowed message

Question 17

describe Deutsch and Deutsch (1963) theory

Answer 17

late selection filter theory
all incoming stimuli are fully analysed
selection for attention takes place at point of response
emphasises the role of information that is pertient/important to us - goal directed nature of attention

Question 18

describe treisman and geffen (1967)

Answer 18

tap when target letter heard in either the attended or unattened channels
found fewer target responses (but still responses) in unattenuated than attenuated
support attenuated filter theory

Question 19

describe coch, sanders and neville (2005) neuroscience evidence

Answer 19

ERP and dichotic listening task
detect probe words in both channels
erps larger in attended channel

Question 20

explain how the working memory can influence our attention

Answer 20

working memory involved in goal focused attention - involves concentration to ensure task completion etc
used to focus on certain stimuli over others
BUT
subject to individual diffferences - people can hold focus for different length of time/are influenced by specific stimuli which can retract attention away

Question 21

desscribe conway cowan and bunting (2001) and wm

Answer 21

abiity to recognise own name in unattended channel

1. determine working memory capacity
   - operation span task - give maths problem then remember words and recall
2. use top 25% for best wm and bottom 25% for worst wm
3. ask to attend to one channel and ignore other
   - 65% hear own name in worst wm
   - 20% hear own name in best wm

Question 22

what does conway et al (2001) say about wm and attention

Answer 22

Those with a higher working memory were more able to ignore information on the non-attended channel better, even when it was personally relevant
wm determines level of focus and ability to attend