Special Problems of Attention

Question 1

Inhibition of Return?

Answer 1

• After attending to a location, attentional systems are slower to respond to stimuli in that location
• Initially shown by the Posner with cueing paradigm, when increasing the Leigh of time of the cue and the target people have less valid trials
• Covert attention facilitates fast responding to stimuli < 200 ms after cue
• Covert attention inhibits fast responding to stimuli > 200 ms after cue
• Effect not observed following overt (controlled & voluntary) eye movements cued by arrow

Question 2

Balint’s Syndrome?

Answer 2

Comlex disorder, including attention deficits

Symptoms:
- Optic ataxia: difficulty moving hand to specific area using vision
- Simultanagnosia: inability to perceive the visual field as a whole (poor “gestalt” of scenes)
- Ocular apraxia: inability to control voluntary gaze shifting (limited controlled attention)

Question 3

Symptom of Balint’s Syndrome - Optic ataxia?

Answer 3

Difficulty moving hand to specific area using vision

Question 4

Symptom of Balint’s Syndrome - Simultanagnosia?

Answer 4

Inability to perceive the visual field as a whole (poor “gestalt” of scenes)

Question 5

Symptom of Balint’s Syndrome - Ocular apraxia?

Answer 5

Inability to control voluntary gaze shifting (limited controlled attention)

Question 6

Balint’s Syndrome, which works feature search or conjunction search?

Answer 6

Feature search ok, conjunction (requires controlled attention to move eyes, and integrate shapes) search is poor

Question 7

Balint’s Syndrome and Illusory Conjunctions? And why?

Answer 7

• Inability to focus attention on individual objects
• High number of illusory conjunctions reported
• Existence of Balint’s syndrome supports feature integration

Why? Features can only be conjoined together under conscious attention

Question 8

Executive Attention Network?

Answer 8

• Like the dorsal and ventral attention networks in that it is difficult to define and localise
• Active during attentional control/shifting
• Especially important for the Stroop task

Question 9

“Executive control” of attention is important for maintaining focus on task?

Answer 9

Development of executive attentional control appears to overlap with other “self-regulation” functions
- Inhibition, planning, task switching, working memory

Question 10

“Executive control” consumes mental resources?

Answer 10

• Uses “processing capacity” (Load theory of attention)
• Same resources taken by perceptual load
• Frontal lobe highly involved

Question 11

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

Answer 11

• Deficit in executive control
• ~5% worldwide prevalence
• Prevalence with ADHD can be easily overwhelmed by information in the environment
• Difficult to focus on intended target

Question 12

Attentional symptoms? ADHD

Answer 12

Difficulty sustaining attention & avoiding sustained efforts

Easily distracted by peripheral stimuli

Question 13

Hyperactivity symptoms? ADHD

Answer 13

Blurting out statements & impulsivity

Can’t wait

Question 14

Development of ADHD?

Answer 14

• ADHD is heritable, but effect size of genetic cause is small
• Environmental and genetic x environment interactions are likely influences

Develops during childhood:
– Only 65% showing symptoms remain affected beyond adolescence
– Many don’t get diagnosed until adulthood

Question 15

Measuring ADHD?

Answer 15

Posner’s Attention Network Task
- Children before age 4 perform very poorly
- Children between age 4 –7 begin to show use of executive attention network
- Age 7 and up to adulthood perform about the same

Reports from family, teachers, and friends more common

Question 16

P300 ERP Component, sometimes called P3?

Answer 16

SUPRISE signal!

• Using EGG measurements, P300 is a well known endogenous response (response to something internally, in the brain)
• Not a response to specific environmental stimuli, but response to novelty
• Also indication of stimulus evaluation and decision making
• Characterized by a strong EEG signal in the parietal lobe, 250-500 milliseconds after onset