Cognitive Psychology Flashcards
What is parallel processing
Parallel processing is many cognitions happening at the same time rather than serial, old view of cognition
What are the 4 cognitive approaches
- Experimental cognitive psychology
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Cognitive neuropsychology
- Computational cognitive science
What is the stroop effect and when is it used
Naming colours when words appear, slows reaction time down. Used to assess anxiety, ADHD, sleep deprivation, dementia, Parkinson’s.
What is top down and bottom up in relation to attention
Active attention by individual goals and expectations is top down
Passive attention by external stimuli is bottom up, e.g loud noises.
What is selective attention and how is it tested.
It is focused attention, tested using 2 or more stimulus inputs at the same time and instructing to attend to 1.
What is divided attention and how is it studied
Multitasking is studied by 2 or more stimulus inputs but respond to all inputs at the same time, individuals have different processing limitations.
What is the cocktail party effect and who devised it
The cocktail party effect , Cherry (1953), is how we concentrate on one conversation when surrounded by many. The focus is put on the physical differences of the speaker, e.g sex, intensity of voice. When presented with 2 messages in the same voice in both ears at once, the brain could not separate the words and focus on 1.
What are the 3 purposes of attention according to Galotti 2019,
To monitor our interactions
Link to past/present memories, gives continuity
Control and plan for future actions
What is shadowing ?
Repeating out loud what you just heard
What was Broadbents filter theory of attention (1958)?
He believed that when multiple streams of stimuli are competing, only one will be allowed through the filter. It was testable and falsifiable as a model for further research.
What did Li, Jackson and Chen 2011 find in their attention listening task between young women and body image?
They found that those participants in the group that were happy with their weight did not hear words said in the other ear, such as ‘fat’, chunky, slim . But the women who were dissatisfied with their weight did hear them. It shows our attention can be diverted.
What is Triesmans (1964) attenuation theory?
A theory that is based more on characteristics of attention, information flows through, but some is more attenuated or diluted . Some words like our name can always be on a low threshold, others can be due to context and grab our attention.
What do the late selection models, Deutch & Deutch (1963), Norman (1968) claim is happening to attention?
All stimuli are processed , there is no filtering or attenuation , selective attention then goes to the most important or interesting to the subject . A pertinence or importance value is placed as per Morays study (1958).
Describe Mackays (1973) speech shadowing study of attention , supporting late selection.
People were given sentences that had the word , “bank’ that could be river bank or money bank presented in one ear and in the unattended ear, were given the word money or river, subjects always interprested the word as money bank or riverbank
What is inattentional blindness
When you are so focused on a task or doing something you do not see something obvious or salient in front of you. E.g study where basketball game is on and a gorilla comes on and beats his chest, half of people did not see it. (Simon & Chabris, 1999)
