TYPES OF ATTENTION / CONTROLLED AND AUTOMATIC PROCESSES

Question 1

DEFINITION: SELECTIVE ATTENTION

- Cognitive Process

Answer 1

• When a person’s focus of attention is only on a LIMITED range of stimuli
• Process of focusing on certain objects (selectively) in the environment for a restricted / certain period of time (Limited capacity).

Question 2

DEFINITION: DIVIDED ATTENTION

Answer 2

• The ability to DISTRIBUTE one’s attention
• UNDERTAKE two of more activities SIMULTANEOUSLY
• Occurs when a person participates in automatic and simple activities (e.g Walking and talking simultaneously)

Question 3

DEFINITION: CONTROLLED PROCESSES

• Usually require SELECTIVE attention

Answer 3

• Involves conscious alert awareness with HIGH mental effort
• When an individual ACTIVELY focuses their attention on achieving a particular GOAL / objective
• Used to collet and NEW or DIFFICULT activity

Question 4

DEFINITION: AUTOMATIC PROCESSES

• Usually require DIVIDED attention

Answer 4

• Involves conscious alert awareness with LOW mental effort
• Activity requires LOW level of Concentration, awareness to mental effort (C A ME)
• Occur in parallel with other activities (more than one activity can be completed at one TIME)

Question 5

DEFINITION: THE STROOP EFFECT

Answer 5

• A demonstration of the reaction time of a task
• Demonstrates the nature of automatic processing versus conscious visual control
• Participants take longer to name the colour of words printed in a non-matching colour, than words printed on a matching colour