Chapter 4- Attention + Performance Flashcards
attention is a _____ that is ____
limited resource, selective
limited (describing attention)
when we multi-task we are not actually thinking of multiple things at once (we can’t do that); we are rather moving between topics very quickly making it appear that we are thinking of multiple things at once
selective (describing attention)
we can only concentrate on 1 thing at a time; BUT we can shift between things
William James
experimental psychologist that studied introsepction
introspection
looking within the self
4 types of attention
-attention + consciousness
-attention as effort/arousal
-attention as a capacity/resource
-selective attention
attention + consciousness
being unconscious, subconscious, or completely aware
-automatic processing = unconscious
-controlled processing = conscious
attention as effort/arousal
attention as an indicator for effort/arousal during motor tasks
attention as a capacity/resource
there is only so much attention that we have
selective attention
when we very consciously choose to pay attention to 1 thing over others
**
2 types of intereference on attention
-structural
-capacity
**
structural interference
physical or neurological structures are the source of the decrement
-ex: your hand can only be in 1 location in space- using your GPS on the dash while shifting gears
-ex: detecting 2 simultaneous visual signals in different locations = reduced processing speed
**
capacity interference
decrement in performance due to limitation in central capacity (attention)
-distracted driving: perceptual + motor requirements exist for using a phone while driving
-central capacity: refers to CNS, brain specifically
**
competition for attention- 3 instances
-Stroop effect
-Cocktail Party phenomenon
-inattentional or change blindness
**
selective attention
allocating attention to different inputs/tasks
**
intentional selective attention
when we purposefully choose to attend to 1 source of info while avoiding/inhibiting attention to others
-top-down processing
-ex: listening to radio instead of tv or someone talking to us
intentional selective attention is top-down or bottom-up processing
top-down
**
incidental selective attention
involuntary capture of attention
-bottom-up processing
-ex: loud sound like cars crashing together- did not want to pay attention to it but the sound was so loud that there was no choice
incidental selective attention is top-down or bottom-up processing
bottom-up
**
Stroop Effect
-subject must name the ink color in which a word is presented
-2 types of words presented: neutral words (ex: house) + word name itself is a color (ex: blue)
-congruency: faster response
-if word name is same as color, we have congruency
-incongruency: delayed response + prone to error
-ex: green
-Nat Geo video on Stroop:
-color processing is through ventral stream
-act of reading is performed in other regions throughout occipital/temporal lobes
-your attention filter is unable to dampen your brain’s instinct to read the word itself + naming the font color becomes different
**
Cocktail Party phenomenon
-suggests that all auditory stimuli is processed in parallel + without attention; there is a mechanism to prevent attention from being drawn to unwanted sources of sound
-when the sound is relevant to us, the stimulus can pass through for further processing + attention
blindness
the failure to see certain visual stimuli when focusing on other stimuli
**
inattentional blindness
represents the failure to process a critical sensory event because subject is so focused on 1 stimuli
-ex: driver looking for a parking spot misses cyclist in front of them because so focused looking for parking spot
-remember video with monkey in background
**
change blindness
participants shown a series of still photos or video of a scene in which part of visual display disappears/changes significantly over time
-remember video showing tourist asking people at beach for directions; switch person halfway through + no one noticed
**
The Door Study demonstrates which concept
change blindness
-a man asks someone for directions then workers carrying a door passes through them + he switches out with someone else + no one noticed
2 types of processing
-controlled
-automatic
who came up with controlled/automatic processing
Schneider + Shiffrin
controlled processing
-slow
-attention demanding
-serial in nature- 1 after another
-strongly volitional/voluntary- can be stopped/avoided easily
automatic processing
-fast
-not attention demanding
-parallel in nature- various operations concurrent
-not volitional/voluntary- often unavoidable
internal attentional focus
concentration on body movements, like hand motion in dart throwing or foot position when kicking a soccer ball
external attentional focus
directed at intended movement effect, like flight of a Frisbee or corner of soccer goal where player is aiming
internal or external foci are more effective
external is more effective
-if I pay attention to the edge of that soccer goal or the flight of the Frisbee, I will be more successful in performing that particular movement
**
anxiety
-when stressful conditions become more severe, human performance response can be disrupted
-attention is directed to threat rather than informational sources; visual gaze + search behavior become less effective
