Task 4 Flashcards
Name an everyday example for both endogenous and exogenous attention.
Endogenous: Cocktail party effect – ignoring environmental stimuli while focusing on a conversation
Exogenous: Lunch line effect – recognizing salient stimuli like our name without having been paying attention to it
When the inherent saliency of a stimulus dictates our attention, this is called…?
Bottom-up / Exogenous attention
What two factors play a role in the difficulty of multitasking?
- How constant the required attention for each task is
- The domain-related strain of the task
What is the difference of overt vs covert attention?
In covert attention, attention is shifted but not the gaze
What does Egly’s Object attention experiment find?
If something happens outside of our focus, our reaction to this is faster if the change occurred on the same object as our focus is on.
What change to the Filter Theory was made due to the existence of the lunch line effect?
The absolute selective filter was turned into the attenuation filter: filtered stimuli are weakened but not deleted.
What is the content of the early vs late selection debate in filter theory?
It is the discussion whether filters occur later or earlier in cognitive processes. Early filters don’t leave much room for automatic processing
Does the feature integration theory have an early or late attenuation filter?
Early
What are the two stage of feature integration theory?
- Pre-attentive stage – automatic and parallel processing of basic features
- Focused Attention stage – basic features in the object are compiled into concrete objects
What do we have according to the multiple resource theory, which we don’t have according to the single resource theory?
Different pools of attention which we can distribute to tasks of different natures
What is Balint’s Syndrome?
- Disturbance of visual attention
- Only a few objects are perceived at a time
- Difficulty perceiving the visual field as a whole scene
- Difficulty in scanning the environment
Where in the brain is the area responsible for directing attention?
Superior Colliculi, Pulvinar
What are the effects of unilateral spatial neglect?
- Attentional bias towards the direction of the lesion, but theoretically normal vision
- Patients sometimes deny having problems
What are some tests used to diagnose unilateral neglect?
Line Cancellation test, copying drawings
Why is neglect described as more like a bias than a disability?
Because patients can be explicitly made aware of stimuli in the neglected half
When is the dorsal attention system activated?
When voluntary attention is engaged
What is the basic neural process in the dorsal attention system?
Neurons in the frontoparietal network send signals to the visual cortex, which biases processing in favor of some specific location
What are key cortical areas in the dorsal attention system?
Frontal Eye Field and Supplementary Eye Fields
What is the Ventral attention system responsible for?
Non-spatial aspects, stimulus-driven control
What does the ventral attention system include physiologically?
Temporoparietal Junction, Ventral Frontal Cortex
Why is the posterior parietal lobe special when it comes to attention?
It is involved in both ventral and dorsal systems. It builds an overall map of saliency of stimuli in the environment.
What function does the pulvinar of the thalamus have?
- Has retinotopic maps
- Very interconnected
- Involved in covert attention and filtering
What can be said about neglect patients with regards to the attention systems?
The cooperation between the dorsal and ventral systems seems to be dysfunctional
