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