quiz 15

Question 1

what are the three main functions of attention

Answer 1

1) selective attention and search
2) divided attention
3) vigilance and signal detection

Question 2

what is selective attention and search

Answer 2

• processing relevant inputs, thoughts or actions while ignoring irrelevant or distracting ones
• focusing on one thing and ignoring or inhibiting others
• looking for a specific stimulus

ex. looking for a friend in a party

Question 3

what is divided attention

Answer 3

• required for allocating cognitive resources during multi-tasking
  ex. listening to lecture and taking notes

Question 4

what is vigilance and signal detection

Answer 4

• alterness for the purpose of detection of stimuli in the environment
  ex. waiting for phone to ring

Question 5

what is arousal of attention

Answer 5

• related to vigilance aspect of attention
• reticular activating system controls arousal and spell-wake cycles, coma present if RAS damaged
• cholinergic and nonadrenergic systems involved in arousal

Question 6

what are attentional resources

Answer 6

selective attention

• top down
• bottom up

Question 7

what is bottom up attention and stimulus salience

Answer 7

-aspect of the stimulus causes it to be attended to

stimulus salience: areas that stand out and capture attention

• bottom up process
• depends on characteristics of stimulus

Question 8

what is top down attention and scene schema

Answer 8

individual determines how to direct attention based on task goals, instructions or higher level decisions

scene schema: knowledge about what is contained in typical scenes

• help guide fixations from one area of a scene to another
• eye movements are determined by task and they precede motor actions by a fraction of a second

Question 9

what is space based attention

Answer 9

top down signals cause attention to be directed on the basis of locations in space

Question 10

what is a space based attention study

Answer 10

• eyes fixated in middle

- more activity to hemisphere contralateral to where attention is directed covertly

Question 11

explain TMS and spatial attention

Answer 11

• mostly valid trials
• some trials: TMS to attended location or unattended location

result: replicated Posner cuing task-targets in attended location appear more often
- phosphemes detected more easily in attended than unattended location

Question 12

what is object based attention

Answer 12

theory that top down signals cause attention to be directed on the basis of particular objects

Question 13

what are object based visual attention studies

Answer 13

• moving eyes to object

- FFA focusing on moving and static face v. PPA focusing on the moving and static house

Question 14

what is feature activation in visual cortex

Answer 14

• attend to motion (judge fast/slow) or color (judge red/green)
• active MT area for motion judgement
• active V4 area for color judgement