Lecture 7: Attention V & VI

Question 1

Parallel search for _____ targets. Serial search for _____ targets.

Answer 1

feature; conjunction

Question 2

What is the difference in RT for feature and conjunction searches?

Answer 2

C: RT increases linearly with set size
F: constant

Question 3

What is the difference for feature present and absent trials for conjunction search?

Answer 3

RT:display size slope steeper for feature absent search 1:2 - exhaustive search

Question 4

What is the role of attention in Feature Integration Theory?

Answer 4

Bind features into perceptual compounds

Question 5

In Feature Integration Theory, ______ searches require feature binding, whilst ____ searches do not.

Answer 5

feature; conjunction

Question 6

List 2 problems with feature Integration Theory.

Answer 6

1. pop-out possible with high-level, not low-level properties
2. many tasks not serial or parallel - actually efficient and innefficient

Question 7

What are the two stages of Guided Search Theory?

Answer 7

1. parallel stage - candidate list of possible targets

2. serial stage - candidate list checked

Question 8

What does search efficiency depend on in Guided Search Theory?

Answer 8

similarity of targets

• similar: large candidate list, ineff
• dissimilar: small candidate list, eff

Question 9

What is the explanation of the Stroop Effect?

Answer 9

Independent parallel processes initiated by presentation of word

1. word reading = fast, involuntary
2. colour naming = slow, controlled

Question 10

What does automaticity derive from?

Answer 10

learned stimulus-response associations

Question 11

What are the conditions and results of Controlled and Automatic processing by Shiffrin?

Answer 11

1. consistent mapping - target and distractor sets distinct: performance increases dramatically over time, independent of set size, display size
2. varied mapping - targets on some trials distractors on others: performance not automatic

Question 12

What was the finding of the flanker task? What does this imply?

Answer 12

RT compatible < RT neutral < RT incompatible.

parallel processing of conjunction stimuli; failure of focused attention

Question 13

What is an attentional blink?

Answer 13

Lapse in attention following identification of target (1).

Question 14

What is ‘lag 1 sparing’?

Answer 14

Observed in attentional blink - performance not immediately decreased, and recovers