Lecture 20 - Limitations on Performance

Question 1

What is attention?

Answer 1

A limited cognitive resource or pool of resources that is available and can be used for different tasks or purposes

Question 2

What happens to the performance of a secondary task when the attentional demands of a primary task are low?

Answer 2

performance of secondary task is good

ie. doing dishes and talking on the phone

Question 3

What happens to the performance of a secondary task when the attentional demands of a primary task are high?

Answer 3

Poorer secondary task performance, and it likely has a negative impact on both tasks

ie. texting and driving, chopping veggies and holding a conservation

Question 4

What is parallel processing of sensory information?

Answer 4

the ability to process two streams of sensory infomration

Question 5

What can limit parallel processing?

Answer 5

When both sensory cues need to processed in the same part of the brain (are the same type of sensory information)

For example, reading the word red, but the font is blue (it is very difficult to process both these at the same time, since there is interference in stimulus identification and response selection)

Question 6

What is controlled processing?

Answer 6

Slow, deliberate, consciously aware, high attention demand
“novices”

Question 7

What is automatic processing?

Answer 7

fast, smooth, unconscious performance, low attention demand
“experts”

Question 8

____ can help automatize motor skills performance and free attentional resources for motor decisions.

Answer 8

Practice

Question 9

____ can reduce the availability of attentional resources for motor decisions and lead to controlled processing

Answer 9

pressure

Question 10

What are 2 examples of spatially and temporally-incompatible movements?

Answer 10

1. drumming (limbs need to perform independant actions while maintaining different rythms)
2. rubbing your stomach and patting your head (two arms must perform independant actions which causes movement interference)

Question 11

What is arousal?

Answer 11

the level of excitment produced under stress

Question 12

Where is arousal a key determinant of performance?

Answer 12

In tasks where the speed or accuracy of motor decisions is important

Question 13

What type of relationship does arousal level and performance have?

Answer 13

inverted U principle

Low arousal - poor performance
moderate arousal - excellent performance
high arousal - poor performance

Question 14

What is individual zone optimal functioning (IZOF)?

Answer 14

range of arousal levels associated with a person’s maximum performance

Question 15

If arousal is low, in what type of tasks is performance better?

Answer 15

Complex cognitive tasks with high precision demands (golf)

Question 16

What is an example of a sport where high arousal is good?

Answer 16

Weightlifting (low complexity)