Lecture 2: Attention, Memory, Cognition Flashcards
1
Q
Attention
A
- A focus on a certain stimuli to the exclusion of another
- Limited in capacity: may be a big cognitive load if too much (cognitive load: amount of mental resources that you devote to a task)
2
Q
Spotlight model
A
- When we want to focus our attention on an area, we notice things around area (fringe), but with less detail…and there are some things that we don’t notice at all (margin)
3
Q
Selective attention
A
- Process of focusing on relevant stimuli while filtering out irrelevant stimuli to the task at hand: occurs when we focus on certain stimuli and block out others
- Cocktail party effect: example of selective attention
2a. Party, someone says your name in conversation with someone else…only focus on conversation where they said your name
4
Q
Alternating attention
A
- The ability to switch between tasks
- Common in every day tasks
5
Q
Divided attention/multitasking
A
- Splits perceptual resources between multiple stimulus: paying attention to more than one thing at a time
- Factors that influence our ability to multitask
2a. Task similarity
2b. Task difficulty
2c. Practice: reduces cognitive interference (when one stimulus makes it difficult to attend to another stimulus) making multitasking more efficient
6
Q
Stroop effect
A
- Demonstration of cognitive interference in selective and divided attention
1a. Selective: attempt to focus on only colour of ink while ignoring meaning of word
1b. Divided: you are multitasking between 2 stimuli by greying to say Color of ink and suppressing need to read meaning of word - This is difficult: task of reading has a cognitive load so low that you automatically pay attention to meaning of word which says saying colours less efficient
7
Q
Sustained attention
A
- Attention to a stimulus over a long period of time /vigilence
- Large cognitive load (ex: wanting to watch tv when studying)
8
Q
Cues that draw attention to stimulus
A
- Endogenous cues: internal, learned (top down), voluntary top down processing before drawn to stimulus
- Exogenous cues: external, innate, involuntary demanding your attention
2a. Lead to attentional capture: involuntarily directed towards a stimulus (ex: large noise)
9
Q
Selective attention: Types of orienting/blindness to block stimuli
A
- Overt orienting: refusing the body (especially eyes) onto new object of attention
- Covert orienting: mental shift of attention without moving the body, head or eyes
- Inattentional/perceptual blindness: when otherwise exogenous cues detected by sensory system goes unnoticed due to selective attention
10
Q
Change blindness
A
- When environment changes and you don’t notice
11
Q
Proximal and distal stimuli
A
- Distal: object in environment
- Proximal stimulus: from distal stimulus that strikes sensory receptor
12
Q
Attention processing theories: Broadbent theory primary selection model
A
- Get large number of stimuli->temporarily in sensory buffer (unlimited capacity)->filter only allows 1 stimulus at a time
- Attended stimulus->sensory store->selective filter->higher level processing->working memory
13
Q
Attention processing theories: Treisman theory
A
- Attenuation theory: Get large number of stimuli->temporarily in sensory buffer (unlimited capacity)->info passes through an attenuator that dampens some of the information coming in without losing it together
2a. So attended information still undergoes broadbents theories, but unattended goes through the same model with less attention
14
Q
Attention processing theories: late selection model
A
- Stimuli are analyzed for meaning before selection
- Says filtering occurs just before entry into working memory: say we percieve everything even if we aren’t consciously aware of what we perceive
15
Q
Dichotomy listening tests
A
- Use speech shadowing to test attention
- Broadbent: Repeat or shadow story played in right word…asked what you head in left ear …can’t do it
- Treisman: ppl listen to nonsensical streams of words from each ear
16
Q
Atkinson-Shiffrin model of information processing
A
- 3 stages of information processing
1a. Sensory information (3-7 units for 3 secs): has iconic (visual) and echoic (auditory) memory
1b. Short term memory/Working memory: if given attention, sensory info goes to working where it must be met with rehearsal to retain it (5-9 units for 5-15 secs)
1c. Long term memory - Said information was serial processing model (1info at a time)…this isn’t accurate because we are capable of parallel processing
17
Q
Ways to remember information in working memory
A
- Maintenance Rehearsal: repetition of a thought over and over to keep in short term and perhaps transfer to working
- Elaborative rehearsal/encoding: attaching meaning to keep smth in short term and transfer to long term
18
Q
Baddeley and Hitch: short term memory changes to working memory
A
- Central executive: deals with cognitive tasks like math, problem solving and decided what info recieves priority
1a. Visuospatial sketchpad: for visuo spatial info
1b. Phonological loop: spoken and written information where It goes between phonological store (maintains spoken info for 1-2s) to articulatory control processing (rehearses verbal information and keeps sending to phonological store)
1c. Episodic buffer: acts as backup system that communicates w long term memory and components of working memory - Dual coding hypothesis: verbal and visual information are stored differently
19
Q
Automatic and effortful processing
A
- Automatic processing: encoding w/o effort
- Effortful processing: encoding w effort
20
Q
Types of encoding
A
- Visual: encoding images
- Acoustic: encode sound
- Elaborative: associate new info w old info
- Semantic: encode words and their meanings
21
Q
Recoding
A
- Convert information into a form that makes sense to us
22
Q
Processes that assist encoding
A
- Chunking: group info
- Mnemonics: link previous knowledge w new info you are trying to remember (ex: peg word, method of loci)
2a. Self reference effect: associate info w something about yourself - Encoding specificity: environment you learn info affects ability to recall it
- Spacing effects: encoding is effective if its seperated times
23
Q
Long term memory
A
- Explicit memory: consciously remember
1a. Episodic: memories associated w events in your life
1b. Semantic: language based knowledge - Implicit memory: not aware of
2a. Procedural: motor and cognitive skills
2b. Priming: prior exposure influences subsequent responses - Prospective memory: tasks to do later
24
Q
Semantic network
A
- Schema for encoding concepts
- Spreading activation: when you remember one thing, you remember things related to
25
Q
How is accessible information retrieved (available information is all info in long term memory)
A
- (Free) Recall: accessing memories without reliance on cues
1a. serial position effect: recall of listed items is affected by order such as primacy and recency - Recollection: reconstructing memories based upon cues
2a. Use of retrieval cues to remember
2b. Cue overload principle: a cue is only effective when not attached to too many memories (example of a cue is priming) - Recognition: recognizing familiar information
3a. Shallow processing: focusing on superficial aspects of words/ideas
3b. Deep processing: focusing on the meanings of words and ideas and relating them to similar concepts -
>makes memories easier to recall - Relearning: relearning previously learned information
4a. Testing effect: each retrieval of a memory makes it more easy to be retrieved in the future
26
Q
Retrieval induced forgetting
A
When the retrieval of one memory may inhibit teh future retrieval of a related memory
27
Q
Distortion types
A
- Misattribution: source of memory is confused
- Suggestibility: false memories suggested by someone else
- Bias: memories are distorted by belief system
28
Q
Intrusion
A
- Persistence: involuntary recall of undesirable memories
29
Q
State dependant memory
A
- It is easier to remember when in same state as encoding
- Mood congruence effect: recall memories that align w current mood
30
Q
Flashbulb memories
A
- Vivid memories that are highly inaccurate but easier to recall
31
Q
Memory interference
A
- Proactive interference: old memories makes it hard to learn new things
- Retroactive interference: new memories make it hard to remember old things
32
Q
Forgetting types
A
- Transience: accessibility of memory decreases over time (shown in Ebbinghaus forgetting curve)
- Absent mindedness: lack of attention
- Blocking: accessibility is temporarily blocked
33
Q
Age related memory impairments (AMI)
A
- Several memory types such as episodic (implicit =constant)
- Not associated w memory loss w Alzheimer’s disease, wenick-korsakoff, etc
34
Q
Neurocognitive disorders
A
- Dementia: decline in memory, communication, thinking
1a. Alzheimer’s disease(AD): type of dementia due to low Ach - Parkinson’s disease (PD): low dopamine in basal ganglia=shake =leads to dementia
- Huntington disease: progresses to dementia
- Wernickes korsakoff syndrome (WKS): retrograde amnesia that follows temporal curve (new memories more affected)
35
Q
Changes in synaptic connections
A
- Engram: group of neurons that represent memory
1a. Equipotentiality hypothesus: if part of engram is damaged=replacement part forms - Brain parts in memory:
2a. Amygdala: memory in fear
2b. Hippocampus: connects new information
2c. Cerebellum: implicit memories
2d. Cerebral cortex: semantic memory
36
Q
Long term potentiation/depression
A
- Long term potentiation: memory network grows
1a. Neural plasticity: network pathways can change and become more efficient - Long term depression: synapses are inhibited
37
Q
Piagets cognitive development
A
- Sensorimotor (0-2 yrs): gain object permanence (or constancy)
- Preoperational (2-7yrs): symbols, memory, imagination develop, egocentric
- Concrete operational (7-12yrs): consider others/apply conservation
- Formal operational (12+): abstract thinking
38
Q
Piagets mental models
A
- Assimilation: changing info to fit schemas
- Accommodation: changing old schemas to fit info
- Equilibration: attempt to find balance between assimilation and accommodation
39
Q
Cognitive changes in late adulthood
A
- Improves: semantic memory, reading comprehension, logical reasoning
- Declines: episodic memory, free recall, processing speed
40
Q
Types of cognitive styles
A
- Holistic cognitive style: focuses on context and relationships between object and scene
- Analytic cognitive style: confuses on discrete objects and their properties
