Lecture 10 Flashcards
Automaticity
controlled or automatic
before walking becomes automatic, as we learn it is more of a controlled process, focusing and using effort
inattention
leads to automatic processes
controlled
requires attention
limited capacity
rather slow
conscious, takes time
effort is required
controllable
flexible
automatic
doesn’t require attention
unlimited capacity
rather fast
effortless
outside full awareness
uncontrollable
inflexible
innate automatic behaviours
those that we are born with, we have no control over them
saccade to movement
orient to loud noise
duck oncoming objects
learned automatic behaviours
e.g. walking, reading, riding a bike
highly practiced, skilled behaviour
hard to suppress
automatic processes are inflexible
e.g. learning multiplication in Greek will become automatic, but multiplication in English will need control
how does behaviour become automatic?
practise
Schneider and Shiffrin
controlled and automatic processes are based on the same cognitive process
practice results in increased efficiency of these processes
Logan
instance theory of automaticity
practise results in a shift of strategy of how a task is performed
controlled and automatic processes based on different cognitive process
unpracticed - general algorithm used to solve problems
practiced - memory retrieval of past solutions
instance theory of automaticity example
multiplication of 5 x 4
initially: sum 5 four times - this is slow effortful
after practise: we learn that 5 x 4 = 20. we simply retrieve the solution form memory
this is fast and effortless
dangers of automaticity
pay for efficient with rigidity
serious cost
frustrating cost
stroop task
saying the colour of the word, not what the word reads
automatic processing is hard to suppress and automatic behaviours are hard to unlearn
it is not that you don’t understand the task, it is that you need to “block out” the automatic processes
stroop effect
the effect of an irrelevant dimension of a stimulus on the relevant dimension
this happens without intention
information from one processing system leaks out and interferes with information from another processing system
Simon task
spatial task
tapping left hand when red appears
tapping left when green appears
when the colour appears on the opposite side to the hand being tapped response is much slower
simon effect
effect of irrelevant dimensions of a stimulus on the relevant dimensions
the location of the square, which is irrelevant to the task, interfered with responding to the colour of the square, which was the relevant aspect
serous costs of automaticity
can lead to errors
e.g car controls, plane pilots, proofreading
Barshi and Healy
participants checked a series of simple multiplication exercises on accuracy
the exercises were either in fixed order of in varied order
what did Barshi and Healy find?
there were more mistakes in the fixed order condition
the fixed order encourages automatic reading of the lists, which disrupts the ability to find the errors
action slips
capture slips
data driven slips
description errors
loss of motivations errors
capture slips
an action performed is very similar to one well practised
e.g ice skating and roller skates
data driven slips
external events activate well practised action schema and cause inappropriate
e.g. use a pen to write, when you were actually looking for something to stir your drink
description errors
carry out an appropriate action on the wrong object
e.g putting cereal in the fridge not milk
loss of motivation error
going into a room to get something and forgetting what it was
best way to deal with this is to retrace your steps
