Exam 3: Attention and Executive Function Flashcards
Attention
The cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring others.
Arousal
A state of physiological alertness and readiness for action.
Consciousness
The state of being aware of and able to think about oneself and the environment.
Vigilance
The ability to maintain attention and remain alert over prolonged periods of time.
Selective Attention
Focusing cognitive resources on specific information while ignoring irrelevant information.
Overt Attention
Attention that is aligned with the direction of sensory input (e.g., looking directly at an object).
Covert Attention
Attention directed to something without moving the sensory receptors (e.g., eyes remain still).
Endogenous Attention
Internally driven attention based on goals or expectations.
Exogenous Attention
Attention that is automatically captured by a sudden or salient stimulus.
Visual Search
A task requiring detection of a target among distractors, used to study attention mechanisms.
Pop Out
The ability to detect a target stimulus that differs from distractors by a single feature.
Conjunction Search
A visual search task requiring the combination of features to identify the target.
Ascending Reticular Activation System (ARAS)
A brainstem system important for maintaining arousal and alertness.
Superior Colliculus (SC)
A midbrain structure involved in eye movements and visual attention.
Pulvinar
A thalamic region involved in filtering and directing attention to relevant stimuli.
Default Mode Network (DMN)
A network active during rest and internal thought; often deactivated during tasks.
Dorsal Attentional Network (DAN)
A brain network associated with top-down, goal-directed attention.
Ventral Attentional Network (VAN)
A brain network that responds to unexpected or salient stimuli.
Fusiform Face Area (FFA)
A region in the temporal lobe specialized for facial recognition.
Parahippocampal Place Area (PPA)
A brain region involved in recognizing environmental scenes and spatial layouts.
Inattentional Blindness
Failure to notice a visible but unexpected object when attention is focused elsewhere.
Change Blindness
Failure to detect changes in a visual scene due to a lack of attention.
Early Selection
A model suggesting attention filters information early in processing before meaning is analyzed.
Dichotomous Listening
A task in which different audio messages are presented to each ear to study selective attention.
Late Selection
A model suggesting that all inputs are processed for meaning before attention is applied.
Cocktail Party Effect
The ability to focus on one conversation despite the presence of many others.
Perceptual Load Theory
A theory that suggests attentional resources are limited and tasks with high perceptual load consume more resources.
Saccade
A rapid movement of the eye between fixation points.
Premotor Theory of Attention
The idea that shifts in attention are driven by the preparation of motor actions.
Motor Field
The area in space that a motor plan is directed toward.
Spatial Neglect
A condition where patients fail to attend to one side of space, usually following right parietal damage.
Extinction
Failure to respond to stimuli on one side when presented simultaneously with stimuli on the other side.
Hemianopia
Loss of vision in half of the visual field due to damage to the visual pathway.
Anosagnosia
Lack of awareness or denial of a neurological deficit.
Representational Neglect
A form of neglect involving failure to attend to the left side of mental images.
Object-Based Neglect
A type of neglect where attention fails to select one of multiple objects in space.
Executive Function
Higher-order cognitive processes including planning, decision-making, and behavioral regulation.
Task Switching
The ability to shift attention between different tasks or mental sets.
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)
A neuropsychological test assessing cognitive flexibility through changing rules.
Tower Of London (TOL)
A test of planning and problem solving where participants move disks to match a goal configuration.
Inhibitory Control
The ability to suppress inappropriate or unwanted responses.
Stroop Task
A task where participants must name the color of the word rather than the word itself, testing inhibition.
Go/No-Go Task
A task requiring response inhibition to certain stimuli while responding to others.
Working Memory
The capacity to hold and manipulate information over short periods of time.
Self-Monitoring
Monitoring one’s own performance and adjusting behavior accordingly.
Flanker Task
A task requiring responses to target stimuli while ignoring flanking distractors.
Prefrontal Cortex
A brain region essential for complex behavior, decision-making, and social functioning.
Lateral Prefrontal Cortex
Involved in goal setting, planning, and execution of behavior.
Orbital Frontal Cortex and Frontal Pole
Associated with emotional regulation, reward evaluation, and social behavior.
Medial Prefrontal Cortex
Plays a role in motivation, social cognition, and self-referential thought.
Anterior Cingulate Cortex
Involved in conflict monitoring, error detection, and regulation of attention.
Phineas Gage
A famous case of frontal lobe damage that led to profound changes in personality and behavior.
Schizophrenia
A psychiatric disorder involving disruptions in thought, perception, and attention.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
