Cognition Chapter 3 (Attention & Consciousness)

Question 1

Definition of internal and external attention

Answer 1

Internal attention: aimed at inner thought, motivations, etc (memory or empty refrigerator)
External attention: aimed at incoming sensory information (store with oranges)

Question 2

What 3 brain systems that are involved in attention

Answer 2

The attentional system can be anatomically differentiated from other cognitive functions
The attentional system uses a network of different brain areas
1. Alerting system (achieving a state of arousal) (Brainstem + frontal cortex)
2. Orienting system (directs processingf resources to incoming information) (frontal + pariental cortex) –> external
3. Executive system (supervising system that decides where attention should go) (pariental, medial, frontal cortex) –> internal

Question 3

Explain the filter theory with early selection

Answer 3

It involves early selection

1. The sensory memory stores information from all perceptual system (unlimited capacity)
2. Selective filter: only one signal is let through the filter
3. Short term memory then maintains information we can use

The cocktail effect revisited interferes with this theory, which resulted in a late selection theory
Here all sensory information is identified

Question 4

Explain the cocktail party effect and the cocktail party effect revisited

Answer 4

When a person can focus their attention to one stimulus and ignore another like a voice when two are presented
Even changes in language and voice are unnoticed

The revisited effect is when a person can still hear his own name which is being processed in the ignored ear

Question 5

Explain the filter theory with late selection

Answer 5

All stimuli is identified, but only the attended ones where given access to further processing

Question 6

Explain the filter theory with it’s attentual theory

Answer 6

Rather then filtering out irrelevant information, the intensity of irrelevant information is diminished but not eliminated

Question 7

Explain the load theory of attention in the filter theory

Answer 7

When there is low workload in the stimulus field, attention can be easier focused than when there is high workload

But in low workload field there is a larger effect on an distractor, as everything is processed there (late selection)
In high workload there appears early selection

Question 8

Explain the resource theory

Answer 8

Attention is like a spotlights which illuminated locations of interest
The size of it can change but attention will decrease if it covers a large area
This can also be applied to objects (two rectangles with cues)

Question 9

Explain attention in perception

Answer 9

Normalization model of attention:
The region in the visual cortex which activates specific brain areas is called receptive field

If you attend your attention to this field, the neural response is higher than when not

Stimuli that are attented to are amplified, while stimuli that are unattended are surpressed

Question 10

Explain experimental paradigm of feature integration

Answer 10

There are two processes

1. Preattentive process (Simultanious analysis of the entire scene and detecting unique features)
2. Focused attention (combining multiple features for a whole experience) (the binding problem)

Question 11

Explain attentional failure or change blindness

Answer 11

Difference between two nearly identical scenes are not notices when presented after each other

Question 12

Explain the attentional failure of inattential blindness

Answer 12

When a subject focusses on one aspect and because of that doesn’t see other aspects
Gorilla in basketball field

Question 13

Explain the three function theorys of consciousness

Answer 13

1. Inessentialism: consciousness is not necessary. All things could also be done by unconscious beings
2. Epiphenomenalism: consciousness is a byproduct of brain processes without use
3. Consciousness is useful and gives us free will

(There are also theories that consciousness is there to provide a executive summary of the situation or that that its main use is to understand the mental states of those around us)

Question 14

What is blindsight

Answer 14

When a person who is blind because of damage to the visual cortex unconsciously sees and avoids objects without any notice of them, because some information goes directly to the thamalus instead of the visual cortex before

Question 15

What is a split brain patient

Answer 15

When there is no communication between the two brain hemispheres.
Patients like this cannot tell what they are seeing in their left visual field, as the left hemisphere (language) does not percieve the information.
When there is information in the left visual field the person can not name it, but draw it, but still not knowing why he drew that

Question 16

Explain libets experient and how it sees free will

Answer 16

Subjects saw a clock and had to press a button at a random point, while reporting when they feel the intention to press the button (happens 200 Ms before)
The eeg measurement shows there was Activity to press the button exists 550 Ms before

Question 17

Explain the neural brain areas that associate with consciousness (global neural workspace theory)

Answer 17

It says that information processing is conscious when the information becomes globally available in the brain.
Unconscious processes don’t have the range and don’t reach all areas of the brain.
Here the consciousness would be everywhere but especially in the frontal cortex.
The functions of consciousness therefore may be to manipulate and maintain information and also to integrate information

Question 18

Explain the dual task paradigm and what influences multitasking

Answer 18

A dual task paradigm rises when a person focuses attention to two tasks simultaniously.
If the the performance is as good as if the tasks were done seperatly, there is no compete for resources.
The most competition for attention happens when somebody focuses on two similar tasks at the same time, like seeing or hearing. If the tasks are seperate, there is less competition and better performance (hearing while driving a car)

Question 19

Explain the Marys Room Dilemma

Answer 19

A person cannot explain subjective experience like a colour or consciousness, which is why it may be impossible to research it

Question 20

What is Subliminal Perception

Answer 20

When a stimulus is too dim to be noticed by the person consciously, but still has an unconscious effect on the person.