Chapter 4 - Attention Flashcards
object perception
Feature integration theory (FIT)
- proposes a sequence of stages in which features are first analyzed and then combined to result in perception of an object
Cukur
Attentional warping
- the map of categories on the brain changes so more space is allocated to categories that are being searched for
FIT
Focused attention stage
- attention ‘glues’ the features together
- independent features are combined, causing perception of the object
Posner
Spotlight model
- attention is like a spotlight that improves processing when directed toward a particular location
studying binding
Conjunction search
- searching among distractors for a target that involves two or more features ex. horizontal and green
- involves scanning a display in order to focus attention at a specific location
top-down
Scene schemas
- an observers knowledge about what is contained in typical scenes
Treisman
attenuation model of attention
- language and meaning can be used to separate messages
- prioritizes certain things instead of eliminating others
Attention
- the ability to focus on specific stimuli or locations
Attention maps
- directing attention to a specific area activates a specific area of the brain
Attentional capture
- a rapid shifting of attention usually caused by a stimulus such as a loud noise, bright light, or sudden movement
Attenuator
- analyzes incoming messages in terms of:
1. physical characteristics (high/low pitched, fast/slow)
2. language (how it groups into syllables or words)
3. meaning (how sequences of words create meaningful phrases) - weakens unattended info instead of eliminating it entirely
Automatic processing
type of processing that occurs
1. without intention
2. at a cost of only some of a person’s cognitive resources
Balint’s syndrome
to describe illusory conjunctions and FIT
- inability to focus attention on individual objects
- according to FIT: lack of focused attention would make it difficult for someone to combine features properly
Binding
- the process by which features such as colour, form, motion, and location are combined to create our perception of a coherent object
Binding problem
- question of how an object’s individual features become bound together
Broadbent’s filter model of attention
- early selection model
- eliminates info right at the filter stage and some info doesn’t make it to the meaning stage
Central vision
- the area you’re looking at
- objects fall on the fovea in the retina
Change blindness
- difficulty in detecting changes in scenes
Change detection
- lack of attention can affect perception
- tested: one picture is presented, followed by another, and someone is asked to report the differences between the two
Cocktail party effect
- the ability to focus on one stimulus while filtering out other stimuli
in movies
Continuity errors
- changes that occur from one scene to another that don’t match (ex. a character reaches for a croissant that suddenly changes to a pancake)
Covert attention
- shifting attention while keeping the head still
Detector
- mechanism which processes information to determine higher-level characteristics of the message, such as its meaning
Dichotic listening
- presenting different stimuli to the left and right ears
- asked to focus on the attended ear and repeat what was heard (shadowing)
attenuation model
Dictionary unit
- part of processing that contains stored words and thresholds for activating the words
- common words = lower threshold (need less stimulation to be attended to)
Distraction
- one stimulus interfering with the processing of another stimulus
Divided attention
- paying attention to more than one thing at a time
Dorsal attention network
- controls attention based on top-down processing
- ex. endogenous orienting (controlled)
Early selection model
- idea that a filter eliminates unattended information at the beginning of the flow of information
Effective connectivity
- how easily activity can travel along a particular pathway
Endogenous orienting
- when you willingly shift your attention
- effortful, controlled, resources driven
- top-down (voluntary)
Executive attention network
- responsible for executive functions
Executive functions
- range of processes that include controlling attention and dealing with conflicting responses
- cognitive control, inhibitory control, willpower
Exogenous orienting
- when you automatically shift your attention
- effortless, automatic, data driven
- bottom-up (reflexive)
Filter model of attention
- theory that stimuli are selected to be attended to during processing
Fixation
- a pausing of the eyes on places of interest while observing a scene
High-load tasks
high perceptual load
- tasks that are difficult and not as well practiced
- use more processing capacity
how could top-down processing sometimes be used in feature integration theory?
- if someone is told they are looking at a carrot, lake, and a tire, illusory conjuntions are less likely to occur and participants are more likely to guess the correct colour
- (because of pre-existing knowledge of carrots, lakes, and tires)
Illusory conjunctions
- combining features from different stimuli (in memory)
Inattentional blindness
- occurs when people are unaware of clearly visible stimuli if they aren’t directing their attention to them
Inattentional deafness
- focusing on a difficult visual task results in impaired hearing
late selection models of attention
- proposes that most of the incoming information is processed to the level of meaning before the message to be further processed is selected
Load theory of attention
- proposal that the ability to ignore task-irrelevant stimuli depends on how much the person is doing
Load theory of attention
a) low load tasks leave room for processing unattended stimuli
b) high load tasks don’t leave any room
Low-load tasks
low perceptual load
- tasks that are easy and well practiced
- only use up a small amount of a person’s processing capacity
Mind wandering
- thoughts coming from within
- decreases performance
- usually associated with activity in the default mode network (DMN) which becomes activated when someone isn’t involved in a task
Operant conditioning
- type of learning
- behaviour is controlled by rewards (reinforcements) that follow behaviour
- best way to ensure a behaviour will continue is to reinforce it intermittently
Overt attention/orienting
- shifting attention from one place to another by moving the eye and head (gaze shift)
Perceptual load
- related to the difficulty of a task
Peripheral vision
- everything off to the side
FIT
Preattentive stage
- occurs before we focus attention on an object
- attention is not involved
- automatic, unconscious, effortless
- the features of an object are analyzed independently in separate areas of the brain and are not yet associated with a specific object
Precueing
- experiment to determine whether presenting a cue indicating where a test stimulus will appear enhances the processing of the target stimulus
Processing capacity
- amount of information people can handle
- sets a limit on their ability to process incoming information
Saccadic eye movement
- a rapid, jerky movement from one fixation to the next
Saliency Map
- map of a scene that indicates the stimulus salience of areas and objects in the scene
- ex. the person in red is visually salient because the brightness of colour and its contrast against the white which is homogenous
Same-object advantage
- faster responding that occurs when enhancement spreads within an object
Selective attention
- attending to one thing while ignoring others
attention can be influenced by:
Stimulus salience
- the physical properties of a stimulus, such as colour, contrast, or movement
- bottom-up process - depends solely on the pattern of light and dark, colour and contrast in a stimulus
- ex. finding the people with blonde hair involves responding to the physical property of colour, without considering the meaning of the image
Stroop effect
- task-irrelevant stimuli are extremely powerful
- reading is automatic so it’s very hard to only focus on the colour of the word
Synchronization
- neural responses become synchronized in time
- positive and negative responses occur at the same time
The first few fixations when scanning are focused on high salience areas. After the first few fixations, what takes over?
- scanning begins to be influenced by top-down processing
- cognitive processing that depends on things such as the observer’s goals and expectations determined by past experiences in observing the environment
Ventral attention network
- controls attention based on stimulus salience
- ex. exogenous orienting
Visual scanning
- movements of the eyes from one location or object to another
Visual search
- scanning a scene to find a specific object
what 2 factors allow someone to ignore distracting stimuli when trying to focus their attention on a task?
- processing capacity
- perceptual load
What are the 2 factors that determine how people shift their attention by moving their eyes?
- bottom-up - based on physical characteristics of the stimulus
- top-down - based on cognitive factors such as the observer’s knowledge about scenes and past experiences with specific stimuli
what are the stages of Broadbent’s filter model
- sensory memory
- filter
- detector
- short-term memory
What causes illusory conjunctions?
- in the preattentive stage, each feature exists independently from each other
- if they aren’t combined properly in the second stage, they could be combined in different ways causing illusory conjunctions
What is the first step of feature integration theory?
Preattentive stage
What is the second step of feature integration theory?
Focused attention stage
What type of processing do feature analysis approaches involve?
- bottom-up
- knowledge is not usually involved
Why do people look longer at things that seem out of place?
- attention is affected by their knowledge of what is usually found in a scene
- top-down processing - scanning is influenced by preferences a person brings to the situation
Why is being on the phone while driving such an issue?
- you are driving with fewer mental resources available to focus on driving
- talking on the phone uses mental resources that would otherwise be used for driving the car
Why is broadbent’s filter model considered a early selection model?
- the filter eliminates the unattended information right at the beginning of the flow of information
