Exam 4: Attention and Consciousness

Question 1

attention (selective attention)

Answer 1

process of selecting or focusing on one or more stimuli

Question 2

overt attention

Answer 2

occurs when the focus coincides with the sensory orientation

- sensory and attention both attend to the same thing

Question 3

covert attention

Answer 3

focus is independent of sensory orientation

• looking at something not in direct sight
• bringing attention to someone and saying not to look and they peek

Question 4

cocktail party effect

Answer 4

selective attention filters out stimuli not being attended to

Question 5

inattentional blindness

Answer 5

failure to consciously perceive a non-attended stimulus

• not paying attention to
  ex: the 4 of hearts turning black but you were not focused on that so did not notice

Question 6

what does inattentional blindness show us?

Answer 6

there are limits on attentional abilities - impossible for all info to enter sensory

Question 7

change blindness

Answer 7

failure to notice a change in our perceptual field

- spot the difference activities

Question 8

limits on attention (3)

Answer 8

• divided attention tasks
• stroop task
• attentional spotlight

Question 9

divided-attention tasks

Answer 9

subjects asked to process two or more simultaneous stimuli

Question 10

stroop task

Answer 10

naming the color of the word not the actually color that is written out in letters

Question 11

attentional spotlight

Answer 11

shifts around environment, highlighting stimuli for processing

Question 12

early-selection model - attentional bottleneck

Answer 12

filtering occurs at sensory level

• only things you focus on will make it into analysis/processing
• nonattended to info never reaches higher level processing

Question 13

late-selection model - attentional bottleneck

Answer 13

filtering only after substantial analysis has occurred

unconscius decision

Question 14

perceptual load

Answer 14

immediate processing demands presented by stimulus

- determines how much of our perceptual resources are used

Question 15

voluntary attention (endogenous)

Answer 15

directed toward aspects of environment according to our interests and goals
- top down attentional processing
slower

Question 16

top down attentional processing

Answer 16

controlled by higher level conscious processing

Question 17

reflexive attention (exogenous)

Answer 17

involuntary reorienting of attention toward a sudden or important event
- bottom up attentional processing

Question 18

bottom up attentional processing

Answer 18

controlled by lower order sensory inputs rather than by voluntary, conscious processes
ex: hear something ad then turn head to look that way

Question 19

the target pops out right away due to unique attribute

Answer 19

feature search

Question 20

based on 2 or more features that distinguish the target

more common, more complex

Answer 20

conjunction search

Question 21

what type of search is it when you are looking for waldo?

Answer 21

feature search

Question 22

what guides the movement of eyes toward objects of attention

- overt attention - direct

Answer 22

superior colliculi

Question 23

what is involved in visual processing, orienting and shifting attention, and filtering stimuli

Answer 23

pulvinar

- back half of thalamus - relay station connecting colliculi to other regions

Question 24

what are the 2 integrated networks that control attention

Answer 24

• dorsal frontoparietal system

- right temporoparietal system

Question 25

dorsal frontoparietal system

Answer 25

top down control

cognitive control of voluntary actions

Question 26

2 parts of dorsal frontoparietal system

Answer 26

Intraparietal sulcus (IPS) 
frontal eye field (FEF)

Question 27

encodes salience (priority) map that controls voluntary shifts of attention 
- shifts or changes in attention controlled here

Answer 27

IPS (intraparietal sulcus )

Question 28

establishes gaze in accordance with cognitive goals (top down) rather than characteristics of stimuli

• closely connected with superior colliculus
• where eyes are focusing

Answer 28

FEF - frontal eye field

Question 29

right temporoparietal system

Answer 29

network for reflexive shifts of attention

- bottom up

Question 30

in the right temporoparietal network what steers attention toward novel or unexpected stimuli?

Answer 30

temporoparietal junction (TPJ)

Question 31

what two structures allow the reorganization of attentional priorities?

Answer 31

IPS and TPJ

Question 32

TPJ shows increased activity to stimuli at ____

Answer 32

unexpected locations

- receives input directly from visual cortex

Question 33

TPJ has strong connections with ____

- involved in working memory

Answer 33

ventral frontal cortex

Question 34

VFC (ventral frontal cortex) may analyze novelty by

Answer 34

comparing stimuli over short periods of time

- have i seen this before

Question 35

what other system is the TPJ similar to in the way that it likes unexpected rewards

Answer 35

mesolimbic dopamine system

Question 36

hemispatial neglect

Answer 36

attention disorder
- most frequently results from stroke
- complete disregard for 1 side of the world - main symptom - usually left side of body 
ex: not getting fully dressed 
some people can partially recover

Question 37

brain damage in hemispatial neglect

Answer 37

damaged areas: IPS, TPJ, VFC
- issues with sustaining attention and switching between attentional tasks
top down control effected - usually also reflexive actions