Lecture 4: Divided Attention

Question 1

What is the resource theory of attention?

Answer 1

• Based on the notion that there is a relationship between how well we do on a task and how much effort/attention we put into it (Yerkes-Dodson Law)
• If you get over-aroused or put too much attention/effort your performance can drop off, so need to find a peak effort/performance spot (the sweet spot)
• Can think of attention as all or none or a resource that can be allocated

Question 2

What was Kanheman’s research on attentional capacity?

Answer 2

• Capacity: Limited and Flexible, can be allocated
• two types of attentional limits:
  1) Specific structural limits (Data limits- no knowledge to perform that task or learned how to do a task but only to a certain level. Even if we put a lot of effort/attention that task has limits.)
  2) Non-specific “energy” resources (resources are not infinite, limited pool of attentional resources)
• Example of attentional resource sharing: Driving car + texting

Question 3

What two types of limits did Norman and Bobrow describe?

Answer 3

• Resource limits (energy towards something)
• Data limits (Doesn’t matter how much energy I put into it because I don’t have enough knowledge or skill set i.e., a structural limit, it doesn’t matter how much effort you put into it at this point)
• You reach the data limit at a lower level of performance for a hard task than an easy task.

Question 4

What is automaticity (Schneider and Shiffrin, 1977)?

Answer 4

• Automatic: Rapid, Unintentional (obligatory), Do not require (attentional) resources
• Controlled: Slow, intentional, requires resources

Question 5

What are the implications of divided attention?

Answer 5

• Automatic tasks can be performed concurrently
• Controlled may interfere with each other (texting and driving)
• We can prioritize certain tasks over others, but it does not mean we can always do two things at once

Question 6

Is it possible to acquire automatic processes?

Answer 6

Extensive practice (e.g., playing the piano)

Question 7

What is the Stroop task?

Answer 7

• People are faster (on average) at naming the colour patches than the colour words
• Automaticity of basic reading processes (we unintentionally read the words- even when told not too. The spelling of the word interferes with naming the colour of the ink)
• Happens in many different ways, whenever we create an interference (e.g., elevator buttons)