Cognitive Psychology Flashcards
Attention
Allows us to focus on a particular stimuli and ignore other stimuli
External attention
Selection of information in our environment
internal attention
overlaps with other cognitive processes, selection of internally generated thoughts and sensations
Focused attention
ability to direct attention to chosen stimuli and maintain focus for a period of time
divided attention
sharing attentional resources between more than one task
shadowing
reproducing a message heard simultaneously while hearing other stimuli too
Broadbent’s Early selection model
Attention selection model in which 1 message is selected for progressing while the other stays in the filter buffer - filter for attention occurs early in the stream of information processing
Treisman’s Attenuation Theory
Attenuator that is a flexible filter that attenuates unattended material
Deutsch and Deutsch Late Selection Model
All information is processed for meaning and the selection only happens late at the level of memory
Resource theory: Kahneman 1973
attention is a limited resource which can be divided/directed aas required up to a maximum limit. Based on the idea of a central processing unit (CPU) and allows flexible attention across multiple inputs
Spotlight attention, La Berge 1983
Attention is a spotlight that we shine on things that we choose to see
Dual Task Paradigm
The successfullness of dividing attention between two things depends on their relation to each other. So, how far apart the atention and the processing requirements are within the model.
1. Processing stages: perception, cognition, responding
2. Processing modalities: visual, auditory
3. Codes for processing: spatial, verbal
4. Response: manual spatial, vocal spatial
working memory
“short-lived sensory information about multiple incoming stimuli, currently activated (primed) semantic concepts…limited capacity, attention-related system holding up to several chunks of information concurrently.” (Cowan et al. 2023)
successive discrimination
identify small change in a single target
simultaneous discrimination
change to one target within array of similar stimuli
cocktail party problem
describes how we successfully focus on one speaker in a background of noise and other conversations
top down
or conceptually driven processes reflect the influence of higher-order cognitive processes such as thoughts, beliefs and expectations
bottom up
stimulus-driven processing of incoming sensory information that produces increasingly elaborate and meaningful representations of the input
Prospective Memory
remember to carry out intended actions
works as cycle:
encoding (storing information) -> retention (retain information until needed) -> retrieval (at a suitable time, retrieve information from memory) ->
Execution (Act upon retrieved information) -> Evaluation (Was the plan successful? If not start cycle again)
Time-based prospective memory
Remember to carry out action at a specific time
Event-based prospective memory
Remember to carry out an action when circumstances are correct
Pulses
Event + time based
involve intention to act which are time locked
Intermediates
No event + time based
In between pulses and steps: somewhat attached to an event but no time
Steps
No event + no time base
Involve intention to do something with wide time frame
Interruptions to prospective memory
- Interruptions divert attention from task, often rapidly
- New task demands then diverts attention from original task
- We can’t always define where a new task ends, cueing a return to the original task
Preparatory attentional and memory processes (PAM) theory
successful prospective memory requires us to maintain a preparatory attentional/working memory response. Not automatic and constrained by working memory. Relies on retrospective memory to distinguish between target and non target actions
Autobiographical memory
memory for events in our life that were significant happenings and can extend back over decades about complex memories
Multi-process theory
Event-based prospective memory involves strategic and automatic monitoring. Some intentions will be retrieved spontaneously.
Episodic memory
a personal experience of events which happened at a specific time and place, trivial and short term
- Dimension of Autobiographical memory: autonoetic vs noetic memory
an experiental vs factual knowledge of self
- Dimension of Autobiographical memory: copies vs reconstructions
vivid memories with lots of irrelevant detail vs some memories that are not accurate and include interpretations made with hindsight which could influence how they’re remembered
- Dimension of Autobiographical memory: Generic vs specific memory
broad based general memory (e.g. location of family holiday and the experience) vs. a particular event that happened
- Dimension of Autobiographical memory: Field perspective vs Observer perspective
remembering event from one’s own perspective vs remembering event as an observer