S2 Wk 2 - Cognitive: Sensation, Perception and Attention

Question 1

What is attention

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Types of attention - 4

Answer 2

Alertness and arousal

vigilance

selective attention

divided attention

Question 3

what is alertness and arousal

Answer 3

enables person to extract information from the environment or to select a particular response

Question 4

what is vigilance

Answer 4

The ability to sustain alertness continuously

Question 5

what is selective attention

Answer 5

Ability to scan events / stimuli and pick out the ones that are relevant

Question 6

what is divided attention and example

Answer 6

Paying attention to two or more tasks

dichotic listening task and cocktail party

Question 7

what do filter theories of attention try to explain

Answer 7

why attention is selective

they suggest there are certain filters along this informational pathway that only makes certain info pass

Question 8

Broadbent’s model early (1958)

Answer 8

filter takes place at the sensory level based on physical characteristics

only one channel of sensory info to proceed

Question 9

objection to Early Filter Model

Answer 9

certain discriminations presumably only happened fairly late in the pathway

Question 10

What was gray and wedderburn’s 1960 study about

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What did von Wright, Anderson, and stenmen 1975 look at

Answer 11

processing with no awareness

processing of unattended words

Question 12

Selective attention involves three stages

Answer 12

1. One parallel pre attentive analysis of the physical properties of the stimulus
2. 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
3. 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

Question 13

What happens in Deutsch and deutsch’s late selection model 1963

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What does overtly mean

Answer 14

Over movement of head and or eyes

Question 15

What does covertly mean

Answer 15

Internal shift, in conditions where there is no time for head or eye movements

Question 16

What is strategic control

Answer 16

The degree to which attention can be allocated relatively to competing tasks is under strategic control

Question 17

What is neglect syndrome

Answer 17

The lack of attention to one side of space usually left as a result of parietal damage

Question 18

What is the absolute threshold

Answer 18

The smallest quantity physical energy that can be reliably detected by an Observer

Question 19

Five absolute sensory thresholds

Answer 19

vision
hearing
smell (olfaction
touch
taste

Question 20

What is kinaesthesia

Answer 20

Mobility to know the position of your body even when your eyes are closed

Question 21

What is Visual perception

Answer 21

The ability to interpret surrounding environment using light in the visible spectrum reflected by objects

Question 22

define sensation

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Define perception

Answer 23

The process by which the brain organizes an interpret sensory information

Question 24

What are the two types of photoreceptors in the human retina

Answer 24

rods and cones

Question 25

4 points about cones

Answer 25

6 million

centre of retina

low sensitivity in dim light

colour sensitive

Question 26

4 points about rods

Answer 26

120 million

periphery of retina

the high sensitivity and dim light

not colour sensitive

Question 27

What is bottom up processing

Answer 27

perception begins with stimuli itself

Question 28

what is top-down processing

Answer 28

use of contextual info being used

Question 29

what are Gestalt’s 6 laws

Answer 29

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