S2 Wk 2 - Cognitive: Sensation, Perception and Attention Flashcards
What is attention
Allocating limited mental resources to information and cognitive processes at a given moment
the brain chooses from among the various stimuli that strike the sensors any given moment
Types of attention - 4
Alertness and arousal
vigilance
selective attention
divided attention
what is alertness and arousal
enables person to extract information from the environment or to select a particular response
what is vigilance
The ability to sustain alertness continuously
what is selective attention
Ability to scan events / stimuli and pick out the ones that are relevant
what is divided attention and example
Paying attention to two or more tasks
dichotic listening task and cocktail party
what do filter theories of attention try to explain
why attention is selective
they suggest there are certain filters along this informational pathway that only makes certain info pass
Broadbent’s model early (1958)
filter takes place at the sensory level based on physical characteristics
only one channel of sensory info to proceed
objection to Early Filter Model
certain discriminations presumably only happened fairly late in the pathway
What was gray and wedderburn’s 1960 study about
Participants heard a mixture of numbers and words presented to each ear and asked to report back what they heard
they could successfully shadow a message that jumps back and forth between is
this means that people can shadow based on meaning not just physical characteristics
What did von Wright, Anderson, and stenmen 1975 look at
processing with no awareness
processing of unattended words
Selective attention involves three stages
- One parallel pre attentive analysis of the physical properties of the stimulus
- analysis of stimuli patterns. a stimulus that meets the target pattern gets passed onto the next stage. if it doesn’t then only a weak a version of it is possible
- attention is focused on the stimuli that make it to this stage this includes sequential evaluation of the incoming messages from the assessment of meaning
What happens in Deutsch and deutsch’s late selection model 1963
All info both attended and unattended undergo analysis for meaning
after analysis selection of a sensory input takes place
the major effect on selecting the input is the relevance of the info during the time of processing
What does overtly mean
Over movement of head and or eyes
What does covertly mean
Internal shift, in conditions where there is no time for head or eye movements
What is strategic control
The degree to which attention can be allocated relatively to competing tasks is under strategic control
What is neglect syndrome
The lack of attention to one side of space usually left as a result of parietal damage
What is the absolute threshold
The smallest quantity physical energy that can be reliably detected by an Observer
Five absolute sensory thresholds
vision
hearing
smell (olfaction
touch
taste
What is kinaesthesia
Mobility to know the position of your body even when your eyes are closed
What is Visual perception
The ability to interpret surrounding environment using light in the visible spectrum reflected by objects
define sensation
The detection of physical energy emitted or reflected by physical objects
it occurs when energy in the external environment or the body stimulates receptors in the sense organs
Define perception
The process by which the brain organizes an interpret sensory information
What are the two types of photoreceptors in the human retina
rods and cones
4 points about cones
6 million
centre of retina
low sensitivity in dim light
colour sensitive
4 points about rods
120 million
periphery of retina
the high sensitivity and dim light
not colour sensitive
What is bottom up processing
perception begins with stimuli itself
what is top-down processing
use of contextual info being used
what are Gestalt’s 6 laws
Law of similarity - similar things tend to appear group together
law of pragnanz - objects are seen in a way that makes them appear as simple as possible
law of proximity - things that are near each other seem to be grouped together
law of continuity - points along the straight or Curve lines as seen in a way that follows the smoothest path
law of closure - things a group together if they seem to complete some entity
law of common region - elements that a group together within the same region of space tend to be grouped together