Chapter 18: Attention and Higher Cognition Flashcards
attention (selective attention)
the process of selecting or focusing on one or more stimuli for enhanced processing and analysis
is attention usually overt and covert
it is usually overt but can be covert
overt
directing senses and attention toward same target
covert
shifting focus of visual attention
example of covert
peripheral vision
vigilance
similar to attention: the global, nonselective level of alertness of the individual
cocktail party effect
selectively enhanced attention to filter out distractions
- this is why you can “tune out” irrelevant voices and focus on the most important ones
- requires the ability to focus on a single speech source
what happens when people are given headphones and asked to focus their attention to one ear or another, what do they report?
they can only accurately report what they were hearing in the attended ear
what can musicians focus their attention on?
certain notes and segregate them from multiple simultaneous sounds
inattentional blindness
failure to perceive nonattended stimuli that seem obvious and hard to miss
what do divided attention tasks demonstrate?
attention is limited and that it is difficult to attend to more than one thing at a time
selective attention acts like an _________
attentional spotlight
what do attentional spotlights do?
highlight stimuli for enhanced processing, protecting the brain from being overwhelmed by the world
early selection model
unattended information is filtered out right away
late selection model
information is filtered only after substantial unconscious processing
perceptual load
immediate processing challenge presented by a stimulus
we have enough attentional resources to either attend to _________
one complex task at a time or a few simple ones
voluntary attention
consciously controlled, top-down attention shifts that come from within according to interests and goals
symbolic cuing task
measures voluntary attention
longer reaction time = __________
more neural processing
what type of attention helps us perform better and faster?
voluntary, directed attention
can attention be involuntary?
yes
reflexive attention
exogenously controlled, bottom-up reorienting of attention toward the location of an unexpected stimulus
peripheral spatial cuing
task that measures reflexive attention
process of peripheral spatial cuing
visual stimulus is preceded by a simple sensory stimulus (not telling them what direction to look in) that reflexively captures attention (RT is measured)
what models reflexive attention?
flash of light
what interferes with processing of valid cues?
longer delays between cues and detecting target because of inhibition of return
do reflexive and voluntary attention work together?
yes, normally
what do effective cues for reflective attention involve?
multiple sensory modalities
example: a sound coming from a particular location can improve the visual processing of a stimulus that appears there
is reflexive attention fast or slow?
it is very fast but fades quickly unless the stimulus is important
is voluntary attention is slow?
yes but can be maintained longer
feature search
target pops out right away due to a single unique attribute
conjuction search
target is based on 2+ unique features
feature integration theory
assumes that conjuction searches use multiple cognitive features maps (one cognitive feature map for each unique attribute) that are coordinated by attentional shifts
what guides our scanning of the environment?
color and shape
binding problem
asks how we are able to know which features of a stimulus combine to define a single object
two methods for conjunction search
- searching for one attribute at a time
- searching for all attributes simultaneously
what type of process is searching for one attribute at a time?
bottom-up process
what type of process is searching for all attributes simultaneously?
top-down process
example of searching for attribute at a time?
scan first for green things and then for triangles
example of searching for all attributes simultaneously?
scan right away for green triangles
what does feature integration theory explain?
why bottom-up processes are faster
temporal resolution
tracking fast-changing activity over time
spatial resolution
detailed struture of the brain
is there a balance between temporal resolution and spatial resolution?
yes
what type of resolution do electrophysiological approaches have?
great temporal, not as great spatial
MRI
great spatial resolution, not good temporal
ERP
used often in studies of attention
N1 effect
ERP signal is larger in negative amplitude immediately after presentation for attended stimuli than for unattended stimuli
P3 effect
ERPs show a large increase in voltage later after stimulus presentation
what is N1 the result of?
selective attention acting on neural mechanisms to enhance information processing
what is P3 effect associated with?
late attentional selection, and may be an electrophysiological marker of consciousness
what components in ERP are for auditory stimuli?
N1 and P3
where is ERP data collected from for visual stimuli?
occipital cortex
P1 effect
large increase in voltage immediately after stimulus presentation for attended stimuli
people with better visual processing are attracted to ____
gaming
what can video games improve?
multitasking and attentional abilities in older adults
V1 has a ___________
retinotopic map
what are the 3 main ways that attention can alter the function of individual neurons?
- enhance or suppress responses
- sharper tuning of cortical neurons
- induce a shift in tuning of the cell
enhance or suppress responses
increase or decrease firing rate of cell
sharper tuning of cortical neurons
causing cell to focus more keenly on specific stimuli
induce a shift in tuning of the cell
changes in the cell’s “preferred” stimulus
subcortical structures that guide shifts in attention
- superior colliculus
- pulvinar
what does the superior collicus do?
implicated in eye movement toward objects of attention
what happens to person with unilateral superior colliculus damage?
showed impaired inhibition of return on side with damage, and monkeys with inactivation of superior colliculus are unable to use selective attention cues
pulvinar
posterior thalamus structure that is involved in visual processing, shifting of attention, and attentional filtering
what does pulvinar inactivation in monkeys cause?
difficulty orienting covert direction toward visual targets
cortical systems involved in generating and directing attention in monkeys
lateral intraparietal area
cortical regions involved in generating and directing attention in humans
- intraparietal sulcus
- frontal eye field
- temporoparietal junction
what do the lateral intrapartietal area and intraparietal sulcus do?
1.involved in top down control of attention (voluntary)
2. neurons fire when attention is directed toward particular locations
3. encode a priority map that steers direction
frontal eye field
establishes gaze in accordance with cognitive goals, rather than eye catching stimuli
temporoparetial junction
- involved in bottom-up shifts to a new location, especially unexpected stimuli
- shows strong right-hemisphere lateralization
what stream does voluntary control depend on?
dorsal stream from the frontal cortex to intraparietal sulcus
what does the dorsal stream do?
attentional enhancement of visual processing and coordination with subcortical system that steers attention
what stream does reflexive attention depend on?
ventral stream from visual cortex to TPJ
what does the ventral stream do?
scans the environment for new and noticeable stimuli that grab attention
hemispatial neglect
unable to pay attention to left side of the body or stimuli presented on that side
- even have difficulty with “left side” of time in a timeline (past events)
what brain structure is damaged with hemispatial neglect?
damage to right inferior parietal cortex
features assocaited with hemispatial neglect
extinction and anosognosia
extinction
inability to recognize when stimuli are presented to both sides simultaneously
anosognsosia
denial of illness such that patients do not recognize signs of unilateral neglect
balint’s syndrome
comes from bilateral lesions of posterior parietal and lateral occipital cortices
3 main symptoms of balints syndrome
- oculomotor apraxia
- optic ataxia
- simultagnosia
oculomotor apraxia
difficulty voluntarily steering gaze
optic ataxia
difficulty with hand movements using visual guidance
simultagnosia
restriction of attention so that processing is limited to one visual object at a time
ADHD
difficulty directing sustained attention to a task or activity, along with more impulsivity and hyperactivity
controversies with ADHD diagnosis
- more boys are diagnosed
- differences across the US, might come from cultural differences
brain differences in ADHD
smaller overall brain volumes, mainly in cerebellum and frontal lobe
what does ADHD treatment enhance?
frontal lobe activity
hypothesis of ADHD suggests that the deficit comes from _______
dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission
default mode network
circuit of brain regions
when is default mode network active?
when the brain is introspective and reflective
when is default mode network inactive?
attention is directed to external events
what is the default mode network made up of?
parts of frontal, temporal and parietal lobes
what does an fMRI study?
mapping cortical areas inactive during states of diminished consciousness appear to be similar to regions implicated in attention (frontoparietal)
what claustrum involved in?
generating the experience of being concious
difference between vegatative states and minimally conscious states?
people in vegetative states will show no sniffing response to odors, while people in minimally conscious states can
cognitively impenetrable
unconcious
free will
subjective experience of consciousness is related to feelings of agency
neural substrate for feeling of having free will
conscious manipulations of intentions activate pre-SMA, frontal lobe, parietal lobe, and prefrontal cortex
executive function
high-level control cognitive processes that control and organize lower-level cognitive functions in line with our thoughts and feelings
what is necessary for executive function?
frontal lobe, specifically anterior forebrain (prefrontal cortex)
supervisory system
governs the creation of plans for future action
what does executive function consist of?
task switching, updating of cognitive plans, and inhibition of unwanted responses
what did phineas gage suffer from?
major prefrontal cortex via an iron rod impaling his brain
what was the result of phineas gage?
he underwent major personality changes and difficulty concentrating
what is the prefrontal cortex further divided into?
dorsolateral and orbitofrontal
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dIPFC)
associated with executive function
lesions in dIPFC
causes struggling with task switching and they may continue a behavior beyond reasonable degree in different tasks
orbitofrontal prefrontal cortex
associated with goal-directed behaviors, especially anticipating the values of different choices
frontal cortex is important for ______
sifting alternatives, evaluating risks and reward, and guiding decisions
neuroeconomics
study of brain systems active during economic decision making
- consists of valuation and choice system
valuation system
ranks different choices on the basis of their worth and potential reward
what brain structures does the valuation system rely on?
orbitofrontal cortex, ventromedial PFC, and dopaminergic reward system
example of valuation system
optogenetically activating D2 receptor cells in nucleus accumbens can turn a risk-preferring rat into a risk-averse rat
choice system
considers alternatives and makes the conscious decision
what brain structures does the choice system rely on?
dIPFC, dorsal anterior cingulate, and parietal lobe
example of choice system
making wrong, costly decisions increases activation of amygdala and PFC
