Environment Interaction Flashcards
(184 cards)
Organisms Interact with Environment
1) Take in information (sensation) and deciding deciding what information is important while filtering out the rest (attention)
2) Making complex decisions about that information (cognition), sometimes in a split second
3) Reacting (behavior)
Selective Attention
Process by which one input is attended to and the rest are tuned out
Necessary due to limited attention capacity
Dichotic Listening Setup
Person listens to info in one ear (attended channel) and ignore input to the other ear (unattended channel)
People remember some of attended channel but almost nothing from unattended
Broadbent Filter Model of Selective Attention
Donald Broadbent
Model states: Inputs from environment first enter a sensory buffer. One input is selected and filtered based on physical characterstics of input. This prevents sensory overload
Other sensory info stays in buffer briefly, but quickly decays
At this point info is still raw data and hasn’t been transformed.
Next info enters short term memory and is processed for working memory
Model doesn’t account for cocktail party effect
Cocktail Party Effect
Occurs when we immediately detect words of importance originating from unattended stimuli
Anne Treisman’s Attentuation Model
Accounts for cocktail effect
Mind has an attenuator which ‘turns down’ the unattended sensory input rather than eliminating it
Selective Priming
Suggests people can be selectively primed to observe something either by frequent encounter or expectation
Divided Attention
Occurs when and if we are able to perform multiple tasks simultaneously
Depends on characteristics of activities one is trying to multitask
Resource Model of Attention
We have a limited pool of resources on which to draw when performing tasks
In general, if resources required to perform multiple tasks simultaneously excedd the available resources then the tasks cannot be accomplished at the same time
Factors: Task similarity, task difficulty, task practice
Information-Processing Models
Assume information is taken in from environment and processed through steps including attention, perception, and storage into memory
As it goes, info is transformed
Alan Baddeley’s Model
Working Memory consists of:
1) Phonological loop - allows us to repeat verbal info to help remember
2) Visuospatial Sketchpad - allows us to use mental images to help remember
3) Episodic Buffer - Info in working memory can interact w/ info in long term memory
4) Central Executive - Overseer of entire process. Orchestrates by shifting and dividing attention
Piaget’s Schema’s
Believed we either assimilate experiences by conforming them into our existing schemas
or Accommodate them by adjusting our schema’s to take into account new experiences
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
1) Sensorimotor Stage (0-2): Infants experience world through senses/movement; object permanence marks transition
2) Preoperational Stage (2-7): Children learn that symbols represent things, but lack logical reasoning; children are egocentric
3) Concrete Operational Stage (7-12): Children think logically about concrete events, learn math concepts, obtain principle of conservation
4) Formal Operational Stage (12-adult): Ability to think about abstract concepts, gain logical thought, deductive reasoning, systemic planning
Trial and Error
Employ repeated varied attempts until a problem is solved
Algorithm
Employ a step-by-step procedure to solve a problem
Heuristics
Employ mental shortcuts to solve a problem
Insight
Experience sudden flash of inspiration to help us solve a problem
Fixation
Unable to see a problem from a fresh perspective
Mental Set
Fixate on solutions that worked on the past though they might not apply to the current problem
Functional Fixedness
Tendency to perceive the functions of objects as fixed and unchanging
Belief Bias
Tendency to judge arguments based on what we believe about their conclusions rather than on whether they use sound logic
Confirmation Bias
Tend to only seek info that confirms what we believe, ignore info that refutes our belief
Belief Perseverence
Tendency to cling to beliefs depsite the presence of contrary evidence
Overconfidence
We overestimate the accuracy of our knowledge and judgements