Chapter 4

Question 1

Attention

Answer 1

focus on specific objects or locations in the environment; focus on certain thoughts or activities.
A behavioral and cognitive process
NOT an emotion or Interest.

Question 2

Load Theory of Attention

Answer 2

Low-load task = less resources used; automatic

High-load task = requires more resources

Question 3

Attention; psychological level

Answer 3

allocation of processing resources

Question 4

Attention; neural level

Answer 4

Alterations in selectivity, intensity, and duration of neuronal responses to such events

Question 5

Controlled Attention

Answer 5

Posner & Snyder letter identification

Expectations->use cues when they are predictive
Helps when expectation is accurate; hurts when expectation is wrong (facilitation vs inhibition)
High validity cues vs low validity cues

Question 6

Automatic Attention

Answer 6

Unconscious influences
Repetition, even if you don’t notice
Automatic processes

Question 7

Feature Integration Theory

Answer 7

Stage in perceptual processing where features are represented independently from “binding” to objects.

Question 8

Feature Integration: Preattentive Stage

Answer 8

Features can still float from one object to another. Analyze into features

Question 9

Feature Integration: Focused Attention Stage

Answer 9

It takes attention to bind features together into objects

Combine feaures.

Question 10

Visual Spatial Attention

Answer 10

Location-based: the “spotlight”

Question 11

Selective attention

Answer 11

Ability to scan events/stimuli and pick out the ones that are relevant

Question 12

Divided Attention

Answer 12

coordinate performance on more than on task at a time

Question 13

Selective Attention: Dichotic Listening

Answer 13

Two different messages presented in each ear. Told to repeat what the one ear is saying. Could not say what the other ear message was except for changes in gender and tone.

Question 14

Filter Hypothesis

Answer 14

Filter allows some sensory inputs to pass to deeper levels of processing, and block other inputs from continued processing.

Question 15

Role of an Attention Filter: Early selection model

Answer 15

Broadbent’s filter model

Filters message BEFORE incoming information is analyzed for meaning; top-down, limited capacity.

Could not explain Cocktail Party or Dear Aunt Jane

Question 16

Role of an Attention Filter: Intermediate-selection model

Answer 16

Treisman’s Attenuation Theory

Attended message can be separated from unattended message early in the information-processing system

Attended to message is let through the attenuator at full strength. Unattended message is let through at a much weaker strength

But selection can also occur later.

Question 17

Treisman’s Attenuation: Dictionary unit

Answer 17

Words that are common or important have low thresholds

Uncommon words have high thresholds

Question 18

Role of Attention Filter: Late Selection Models

Answer 18

Selection of stimuli for final processing does not occur until after information has been analyzed for meaning
- Most likely NOT correct

Question 19

Attentional Blink

Answer 19

Brief slowing of processing due to having processed another event VERY recently

Example: so focused on taking notes that you miss what she is saying next

Question 20

Inattentional Blindness

Answer 20

stimulus that is not attended is not perceived, even though a person might be looking directly at it

Example: gorilla video in class

Question 21

Change Blindness

Answer 21

If shown two versions of a picture, differences between them are not immediately apparent

Experiment with the man giving directions and the guy asking for directions changes but no one noticed.

Question 22

Stroop Effect

Answer 22

Name of the word interferes with the ability to name the ink color
Cannot avoid paying attention to the meanings of the words

Question 23

Divided Attention

Answer 23

The distribution of attention across two or more task

Attentional resources are limited

Question 24

Visual Neglect

Answer 24

After brain injury, some patients seem to lose the ability to attend to one side of visual field

Inability to attend to or respond to stimuli in contralesional visual field