Chapter 7- Attention and Scene Perception

Question 1

Attention

Answer 1

Any of the very large set of selective processes in the brain. To deal with the impossibility of handling all inputs at once, the nervous system has evolved mechanisms that are able to bias processing to a subset of thing, places, ideas, or moments in time.

Question 2

Selective Attention

Answer 2

The form of attention involved when processing is restricted to a subset of the possible stimuli.

Question 3

Reaction Time (RT)

Answer 3

A measure of the time from the onset of a stimulus to a response.

Question 4

Cue

Answer 4

A stimulus that might indicate where (or what) a subsequent stimulus will be. Cues can be valid (giving correct information), invalid (incorrect), or neutral (uninformative).

Question 5

Exogenous Cue

Answer 5

In directing attention, a cue that is located out (exo) at the desired final location of attention.

Question 6

Endogenous Cue

Answer 6

In directing attention, a cue that is located in (endo) or near the current location of attention.

Question 7

Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (SOA)

Answer 7

The time between the onset of one stimulus and the onset of another.

Question 8

Inhibition of Return

Answer 8

The relative difficulty in getting attention (or the eyes) to move back to a recently attended (or fixated) location.

Question 9

Visual Search

Answer 9

A search for a target in a display containing distracting elements.

Question 10

Target

Answer 10

The goal of a visual search.

Question 11

Distractor

Answer 11

In a visual search, any stimulus other than the target.

Question 12

Set Size

Answer 12

The number of items in a visual display.

Question 13

Feature Search

Answer 13

Visual search for a target defined by a single attribute, such as a salient color or orientation.

Question 14

Salience

Answer 14

The vividness of a stimulus relative to its neighbors.

Question 15

Parallel Search

Answer 15

Visual search in which multiple stimuli are processed at the same time.

Question 16

Serial Self-Terminating Search

Answer 16

A search from item to item, ending when a target is found.

Question 17

Guided Search

Answer 17

Search in which attention can be restricted to a subset of possible items on the basis of information about the target item’s basic features (e.g., its color).

Question 18

Conjunction Search

Answer 18

Search for a target defined by the presence of two or more attributes (e.g., a red, vertical target among red horizontal and blue vertical distractors).

Question 19

Prime

Answer 19

A stimulus that might make it easier or faster to respond to a subsequent stimulus. If you are primed by the word “cat”, you will respond more quickly to the word “mouse” than to “broom” or some other unrelated word.

Question 20

Scene-Based Guidance

Answer 20

Information in our understanding of scenes that helps us find specific objects in scenes (e.g., objects do not float in air, faucets are found near sinks).

Question 21

Anchor Objects

Answer 21

Typically a relatively big object that provides information about the location of other objects. For instance, the toilet provides information about the location of the toilet paper.

Question 22

Binding Problem

Answer 22

The challenge of trying different attributes of visual stimuli (e.g., color, orientation, motion), which are handled by different brain circuits, to the appropriate object so that we perceive a unified object (e.g., red, vertical, moving right).

Question 23

Feature Integration Theory

Answer 23

Anne Treisman’s theory of visual attention, which holds that a limited set of basic features can be processed in parallel pre-attentively, but other properties, including the correct binding of features to objects, require attention.

Question 24

Preattentive Stage

Answer 24

The processing of a stimulus that occurs before selective attention is deployed to that stimulus.

Question 25

Illusory Conjunction

Answer 25

An erroneous combination of two features in a visual scene- for example, seeing a red X when the display contains red letters and Xs but non red Xs.

Question 26

Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP)

Answer 26

An experimental procedure in which stimuli appear in a stream at one location (typically the point of fixation) at a rapid rate (typically about 8 per second).

Question 27

Attentional Blink (AB)

Answer 27

The tendency not to perceive or respond to the second of two different target stimuli amid a rapid stream of distracting stimuli if the observer has responded to the first target stimulus 200-500 milliseconds before the second stimulus is presented.

Question 28

Priority Map

Answer 28

A hypothetical neural representation of visual space in which the activity at each point reflects how much that location (or object) will attract attention.

Question 29

Lateral Interparietal Area (LIP)

Answer 29

A brain region, present in both parietal lobes that serves an important role in the control of visual attention.

Question 30

Frontal Eye Fields (FEF)

Answer 30

Brain regions in both frontal lobes that help to coordinate visual selective attention with the movement of the eyes.

Question 31

Superior Colliculus (SC)

Answer 31

A structure in the midbrain that is important in initiating and guiding eye movements.

Question 32

Fusiform Face Area (FFA)

Answer 32

A region of extrastriate visual cortex in humans that is specifically and reliably activated by human faces.

Question 33

Parahippocampal Place Area (PPA)

Answer 33

A region of extrastriate visual cortex in humans that is specifically and reliably activated more by images of places than by other stimuli.

Question 34

Response Enhancement

Answer 34

An effect of attention on the response of a neuron in which the neuron responding to an attended stimulus gives a bigger response.

Question 35

Sharper Tuning

Answer 35

An effect of attention on the response of a neuron in which the neuron responding to an attended stimulus responds more precisely. For example, a neuron that responds to liens with orientations from -20 degrees to +20 degrees might come to respond to +/- 10-degree lines.

Question 36

Altered Tuning

Answer 36

An effect of attention on the response of a neuron in which the neuron responding differently to the features of an attended versus an unattended stimulus. For example, a neuron that responds strongly to lines with orientations from -20 degrees to +20 degrees might shift to respond strongly to -10 to +30 degree lines.

Question 37

Visual-Field Defect

Answer 37

A portion of the visual field with no vision or with abnormal vision, typically resulting from damage to the visual nervous system.

Question 38

Parietal Lobe

Answer 38

In each cerebral hemisphere, a lobe that lies toward the top of the brain between the frontal and occipital lobes.

Question 39

Neglect

Answer 39

In reference to a neurological symptom, in visual attention: 1) The inability to attend or respond to stimuli in the contralesional visual field (typically, the left field after right parietal damage). 2) Ignoring half of the body or half of an object.

Question 40

Contralesional Field

Answer 40

The visual field on the side opposite a brain lesion. For example, points to the left of fixation are contralesional to damage in the right hemisphere of the brain.

Question 41

Extinction

Answer 41

In reference to visual attention, the inability to perceive a stimulus to one side of the point of fixation (e.g., to the right) in the presence of another stimulus, typically in a comparable position in the other visual field (e.g., on the left side).

Question 42

Ipsilesional Field

Answer 42

The visual field on the same side as a brain lesion.

Question 43

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Answer 43

A quite common childhood disorder that can continue into adulthood, symptoms of which include difficulty focusing attention and problems controlling behavior.

Question 44

Balint Syndrome

Answer 44

A disorder where everything except the current object of attention seems to be blocked from conscious perception.

Question 45

Reachspace

Answer 45

A region of visual space that is within arm’s reach: Bigger than most objects, smaller than a typical scene, and critically positioned where the arms can reach.

Question 46

Peripersonal Space

Answer 46

That part of the world that is near your body- especially, your hands.

Question 47

Ensemble Statistics

Answer 47

The average and distribution of properties like orientation or color over a set of objects or over a region in a scene.

Question 48

Proto-Object

Answer 48

A term used to refer to objectlike stimuli before they are attended and recognized.

Question 49

Spatial Layout

Answer 49

The description of the structure of a scene (e.g., enclosed, open, rough, smooth) without reference to the identity of specific objects in the scene.

Question 50

Gist

Answer 50

The essential or primary character of a scene. In vision, gist typically refers to information that can be gleaned in a very brief glimpse, without voluntary eye movements.

Question 51

Change Blindness

Answer 51

When on scene is replaced by another version of the same scene, observers may be unable to report what changed between the two versions.

Question 52

Intentional Blindness

Answer 52

A failure to notice- or at least to report- a stimulus that would be easily reportable if it were attended.