Exam 2 Flashcards
Mental Abilities, Attention and Memory
Define semantic network.
The web in our brain that forms our connections between information and our perception.
What do semantic networks imply about the spread of information in our brain?
Our information is spread across the areas of our brain and not located in one area
Define the Spreading Activation Model (Collins and Loftus, 1975).
If one concept is “activated,” multiple parts of the brain follow suit and light up with activity, adding to the original node of information.
- Example: Canary -> Bird -> Fly -> Wings -> Feathers -> Colors
Does the frequency the information is recalled have an effect on the strength of the semantic connection? And, how does the strength of the semantic connection effect the time in which an individual is able to recall the information? Does the frequency the information is recalled have an effect on the strength of the semantic connection?
More frequently recalled -> stronger connection
Stronger Connection -> Faster ability to recall the information
Define embodied cognition?
The cognitive ability to understand where your body is and interacting in the world around you.
Define mirror neurons.
Neurons that fire when watching someone complete an action as well as when completing an action yourself.
- Example: Yawning
Define the multimodal hypothesis.
The belief that we have various representations tied to our perceptual and motor systems, meaning they derive information from one another.
Visual = Verbal = Motor = Other
Define the Amodal hypothesis.
The belief there is an abstract system between the perceptual and motor systems, meaning information comes from the individual representation
- Visual <-> Meaning
- Verbal <-> Meaning
- Motor <-> Meaning
- Other <-> Meaning
Define categorical organization.
- Once again, we love shortcuts! When categorizing information in our head we end up encoding shortcuts and assumptions.
- Can lead to negative stereotyping (Dunning and Sherman, 1997)
Define schema.
Organized information that allow us to make assumptions. We have thousands of schemas.
- Example: Thinking of elementary school you learn different types of places, as well as the purpose and required behavior of each of them. PE vs Cafeteria vs Classroom vs Music Room vs Art Room vs Playground vs Library vs Hallway
What was the Typical and Atypical cups study find?
People classify objects on a wide scale as the same thing. They used cups, even strange prism shaped mugs were categorized as cups.
Define event concepts.
Events have a conceptual structure. Schank and Abelson (1977) found that people had people define the behavior they expected of themself when entering, ordering, eating, and exiting a restaurant.
Define the Fuzzy Trace Theory (Brainard and Reyna, 2001).
We hold representations along a spectrum.
- Gist: “Fuzzy,” meaning the memory is fuzzy, you remember the overall concept of a wedding day
- Verbatim: Precise, and in detail memory, more likely to be a traumatic day.
Why was the “Memory for verbal information” important in knowing the importance of semantics?
Half of the participants were warned about exact wording, these individuals scored lower in recalling the meaning of the words, however the individuals scored higher recalling the style of the words.
What is the Information Processing Model?
The model of taking in information and forming a memory.
Sensory Input->Sensory Memory->Attention->Working Memory<->Encoding/Retrieval<->Long-Term Memory
What is the sensory memory?
The stage of memory that processes the environment around us and holds the memory for a short time. This stage is preconscious/pre-attentive, its just a basic overview of the room and area around you.
What is auditory sensory memory (echoic memory)?
Same as the sensory memory, brief auditory memory.
What is visual sensory memory (iconic memory)?
A brief visual memory.
- Example: Understanding symbols, stop signs, red vs yellow vs green light
What is the step by step process of encoding a memory (Understanding the Information Processing Model)?
- Sensory Input
- Sensory Memory (Unattended information is quickly lost.)
- Attention moves into
- Working Memory (Unrehearsed information is lost)
- Rehearsal leads to
- Encoding
- Long-term Memory (Some information is lost overtime but it is minimal)
What did Sperling find about the Visual Sensory Memory?
- Sperling showed participants three rows of four letters, following this the participants viewed a black screen and heard a beep.
- Depending on the pitch, the participants would recall the corresponding row (high pitch to top row).
- No matter the row, the participants were able to recall the letters.
- After changing the beep to occur later after participants viewed the stimuli, the rates of recall significantly dropped.
- Overall meaning: our sensory visual memory is short-term and needs rehearsal to recall after time. (Participants couldn’t memorize all twelve letters, so they couldn’t rehearse in between task and recall.)
What is the effect visual input during the inter-stimulus interval?
The sensory memory is is wiped.
- Example: Sperling showing a black screen after the participants viewed the rows of letters and before asking to recall the letters.
Why is motion and time perception important to memory integration?
In order to encode short-term memory, the time (literal time of the memory) and motion (the sensory changes experienced in the memory).
- Example: When test day is.
After encoding into long-term memory, the tie perception is no longer integrated with the memory.
- Example: The general memory of the test.
What are the three components of attention?
- Orienting (focus)
- Filtering (choosing)
- Searching (selecting)
Define goal-oriented attention vs stimulus-directed attention.
- Goal-oriented attention: focused, more direct, endogenous control (direct/intentionally focused attention)
- Stimulus-directed attention: shock, attention-grabbing, exogenous control (external/not purposefully focused attention)
What is the difference between inattentional blindness and change blindness?
Change blindness: the failure to notice obvious change.
- Example: couch being swapped out, but not noticing.
Inattentional blindness: the failure to notice the existence of an unexpected item.
- Example: Kid doesn’t notice elf on the shelf came out for the season.
Define the cocktail party phenomenon and how it was studied.
The ability of individuals to focus on their own conversation in a room full of conversations.
- goal-directed attention
When your attention is grabbed by something else (your name)
- stimulus-directed attention
Dichotic listening tasks: participants heard separate phrases in each ear, and were asked to recall one of them. Found that participants could only truly focus on one at a time.
What is Broadbent’s filter theory (1958)?
Early selection theory, a message is processed based on some sensory information.
- Model: input->Detection->Filter (attended vs unattended thought)->Recognition (semantics)->
What are some issues with Broadbent’s filter theory (1958)?
(Disputed by Moray and Gray & Wedderburn)
We process some information in the unattended channel as well.
- Example: taking a test in a cold room, temperature is not your focus but you still processed that sensory input.
Define the Treisman’s Attenuation Theory (1964).
- Debunked Broadbent’s filter theory.
- Had participants listen to two sentences in alternate ears that made more sense when combined together.
- She found that participants more commonly combined the sentences than kept them separate.
- Overall meaning: Broadbent’s attention filter doesn’t make sense because attention processing is not black and white. People do take in information that they are not inherently focused on.
Define the Deutsch and Deutsch’s Late-Selection Theory.
Alternate explanation to Broadbent’s model, following Treisman’s study.
- Input->Detection->Recognition->THEN FILTER (deciding which inputs to rehearse and recall)
Which of the three attention models is the most supported (Broadbent, Treisman, or Deutsch and Deutsch)?
- Broadbent: black and white filter/minimal support
- Treisman: imperfect filter/most support
- Deutsch and Deutsch: minimal support
Are our eye movement and attention able to be separated?
Yes;
- Overt Orienting: Eye movement/attention is same as the fovea (center of attention)
- Covert Orienting: Eye movement/attention is separate
