L3 - Attention

Question 1

How to define attention? (James’ definition)

Answer 1

• Taking possession of the mind, in clear and vivid form of one out of several simultaneously possible objects/trains of thoughts
• Implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others

Question 2

What is the textbook definition of attention?

Answer 2

Means by which we actively select and process a limited amount of info captured by our sense, our stored in memories, and our other cognitive processes

Question 3

What are the 4 main functions of attention?

Answer 3

• Signal detection and vigilance
• Search
• Selective attention
• Divided attention

Question 4

What is signal detection?

Answer 4

Attention allows us to detect a specific stimulus among the vast amount of stimuli

Question 5

What is vigilance?

Answer 5

Ability to maintain our attention for a prolonged period of time to detect a specific stimulus

Question 6

What is Search?

Answer 6

• Attention allows us to actively search for a specific stimulus e.g when firefighters smell smoke, they try to search for the location of the fire

Question 7

What is selective attention?

Answer 7

Attention allows us to choose or focus on a specific stimulus and ignore others

Question 8

What is divided information?

Answer 8

Attention allows us to direct/shift our attention resource between multiple tasks

Question 9

What are the two attention control systems?

Answer 9

• Goal-directed attention (endogenous control/top-down) brain - behaviour
• Stimulus-driven attention (exogenous control/bottom-up)

Question 10

What is goal-directed attention?

Answer 10

• Controlled by individual goals/intentions (voluntary control)
• Goals-directed system is influenced by expectations, knowledge and current goals of individuals

Question 11

What was a study looking at goal directed attention?

Answer 11

• Spatial cueing task/Covert attention task
• Ppts see 3 squares, then cue (arrow)
• Valid = indicating location of target, neutral = no info, invalid = opposite location of target
• Ppts have to detect a target by pressing the space bar
• Covert attention task: attention to an object without eye movement

Question 12

Results for study looking at goal-directed attention?

Answer 12

• Ppts eye movements monitored
• Ppts attention was voluntarily directed by the cues
• Ppts were faster for valid cues and slower for invalid cues relatove to the neutral cues
• If ppts attention was not affected by knowledge and current goals, we should not see any difference between the three conditions

Question 13

What was the overt attention task?

Answer 13

• Recording eye movements while ppts are asked to view a picture at will, and guess the families wealth
• Judge age of people in the painting
• Guess what people were doing before being in the room
• Remember what clothes they wore, and position of objects in the room
• Estimate how long it had been since visitor was last seen by people in the painting
• If we do not have voluntary control of our attention, eye movements would be similar independent of the instructions

Question 14

What was a study on goal directed attention on the brain?

Answer 14

• Dorsal attention network
• Meta-analysis of brain imaging studies
• Allow us to attend to stimuli directly related to our current goal
• Network contains Superior Parietal Lobe, Intraparietal sulcus, Inferior frontal junction, frontal eye field, middle temporal area, V3A

Question 15

What Is stimulus-driven attention?

Answer 15

• Exogenous system not controlled by individual - automatic shift of attention toward stimulus e.g flashing light
• Automatically redirects attention from the current focus toward potentially important stimulus

Question 16

What is the spatial cueing/covert attention task for BU?

Answer 16

• Ppts 3 square
• Ppts see a cue = thickness change
• 3 conditions: valid, neutral, invalid
• Ppts have to detect a target by pressing space bar
• Ppts faster for valid cues and slower for invalid cues relative to neutral cues
• If ppts attention was not automatically redirected we should not see any difference between the conditions

Question 17

What brain system is used in BU?

Answer 17

• Ventral attention system
• Meta-analysis allowing us to attend to unexpected threatening stimuli
• The ventral attention network consists of the inferior frontal junction, inferior frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, insula and temporo-parietal junction

Question 18

What is a network model?

Answer 18

• Review of neuroimaging studies on attention and found 3 functions of attention
• Alerting, Orienting and Executive attention

Question 19

Define Alerting

Answer 19

• System help us achieve and maintain a state of high sensitivity to incoming stimuli e.g traffic light
• Problems associated with alerting: normal aging and attention deficit disorder

Question 20

Define orienting?

Answer 20

• Orienting is defined as the system that improves the selection of info from sensory input e.g pedestrian sign
• Problems associated with orienting = autism

Question 21

Define executive attention?

Answer 21

• System helps us to monitor and resolve conflict among thoughts, feelings and responses
• Problems associated with EA - Alzheimer’s, BPD, Schizophrenia

Question 22

What was a study looking at the network model? (Attention in relationships)

Answer 22

• Does attention play an important role in relationships
• Examined attention deficits in adults, with or without a history of previous divorce, but who currently live with a partner
• 190 Canadian adults: 32 divorced, 13 divorced and remarried, 19 divorced and cohabiting
• EA deficit for divorced couples cohabiting (resolve conflicts)
• Attention might be important predictor in successful relationships

Question 23

What is the structure and neurotransmitters for each function?

Answer 23

• Alerting = Locus coeruleus, right frontal and parietal cortex = Norepinephrine (maintenance of alertness)
• Orienting = Superior Parietal, Temporal parietal junction, frontal eye fields, superior colliculus = Acetylcholine
• EA = Anterior cingulate, lateral ventral, prefrontal, basal ganglia = dopamine (conflict resolution)

Question 24

Factors that influence attention:

Answer 24

• Anxiety: attention can be affected by level of anxiety (trait and state-based)
• Arousal: level of arousal/excitement affects ability to pay attention e.g tired
• Task difficulty: level of difficulty/novelty of the task affect the attention resource needed (easier task = less attention)
• Skills: increase and practise and skills reduced the level of attention needed to perform a task