Midterm 2 - Unit 4 Lecture 1

Question 1

What is selective attention?

Answer 1

process of directing our awareness to relevant stimuli while ignoring irrelevant stimuli in the environment.

Question 2

why is selective attention important

Answer 2

allows us to tune out insignificant details and focus on what is important

Question 3

When is selective attention used?

Answer 3

Humans use selective attention to cope with unlimited number of stimuli in the environment

Question 4

what are the two types of selective attention

Answer 4

Endogenous attention
Exogenous attention

Question 5

what is Endogenous attention

Answer 5

conscious direct attention to a particular aspect of the environment
voluntary choice based upon your current goals, e.g., studying
Occurs mainly in pre-frontal cortex

Question 6

what is Exogenous attention

Answer 6

unexpected salient stimulus causes a shift of focus from what is being attended at that moment
shift focus to new information that may require your attention, e.g., loud noise
Occurs mainly in Parietal cortex

Question 7

what is the most important attention to humans

Answer 7

Visual selective attention because we are “visual creatures”.

Question 8

Hearing and proprioceptive/kinesthetic are secondary. True or false

Answer 8

true

Question 9

what is inattention blindness

Answer 9

People sometimes fail to notice salient unexpected objects when their attention is otherwise occupied,

Question 10

what is inattention blindness

Answer 10

People sometimes fail to notice salient unexpected objects when their attention is otherwise occupied,

Question 11

what is Foveation

Answer 11

process in which eye movements direct the fovea to new objects of interest in the visual space.

Question 12

what is Fixation

Answer 12

Eye is fixed on object and information can be inputted into the system

Question 13

what is Saccade

Answer 13

Rapid involuntary movement of the eye
Function is to move eye from fixation to fixation
They range in amplitude from small movements made while reading to much larger movements made while gazing around a room
One of the fastest movements produced by the human body
No input of information!
Only happens in the fixation

Question 14

How do we actually “look” at something?

Answer 14

When inspecting an object, eye movements consist of a complex pattern of saccades and fixations

Question 15

what are Smooth pursuit eye movements

Answer 15

Smooth pursuit movements are much slower tracking movements of the eyes designed to keep a moving stimulus on the fovea once foveation is achieved.

Velocity of eye is matched with moving object so that it is effectively fixated and information can be inputted.

Such movements are under voluntary control in the sense that the observer can choose whether or not to track a moving stimulus

Question 16

what is Peripheral vision

Answer 16

refers to the ability to perceive stimuli in terms of their angular distance from point of fixation

Question 17

Human peripheral vision is poor at….

Answer 17

distinguishing detail, colour and shape.

Question 18

the density of receptor and ganglion cells in the retina is greater at the ____________and lowest at the ___________

Answer 18

center, edges

Question 19

Studies of novice drivers showed novice drivers……

Answer 19

Smaller range of horizontal scanning
Looking closer in front of the vehicle and more to the right of the direction of travel
Sampled rear view mirror less frequently
Made pursuit eye movements on the freeway whereas experienced drivers made eye fixations

Question 20

what is Auditory selective attention

Answer 20

Pay attention to one ear and ignore the other
Or
Switch attention between ears

Question 21

Example of selective auditory attention

Answer 21

dichotic listening paradigm

Question 22

what is dichotic listening paradigm

Answer 22

a listener is presented with two sound sequences. In one condition, the sequences are presented simultaneously to the same ear(s). In the other, one sound sequence is presented to one ear and a different sound sequence to the other. The sound sequences are typically speech

Question 23

what did the North & Hargreaves (1997) study exemplify

Answer 23

drivers tend to turn down the radio volume in heavy traffic as loud arousing music requires greater processing demands – “turning down the radio while driving so that you can see better

Question 23

what did the North & Hargreaves (1997) study exemplify

Answer 23

drivers tend to turn down the radio volume in heavy traffic as loud arousing music requires greater processing demands – “turning down the radio while driving so that you can see better

Question 24

what did the North & Hargreaves (1997) study exemplify

Answer 24

drivers tend to turn down the radio volume in heavy traffic as loud arousing music requires greater processing demands – “turning down the radio while driving so that you can see better

Question 25

what were the basis of North & Hargreaves (1999) study on the effects of music ‘complexity’ on driving performance

Answer 25

listening to a piece of music requires cognitive work (such as, analyses of musical components, and on- line temporal processing of fluid auditory combinations)

arousing music (which is more cognitively-demanding) will reduce the amount of attentional space available

when arousing music and driving draw simultaneously on the same limited processing capacity driving performance will be significantly impaired
simulated speed-driving was best performed in the low-demand/low arousal music combination