Unit 4 Flashcards
Definition of Attention
The state of focusing on certain items at the expense of others.
2 main focuses or questions about attention
What factors influence attention?
Neural mechanisms of attention
Selected vs Divided Attention
Selected = focused on one task
Divided = focused on multiple stimuli
Distraction
Something that captures us out of attention on something
Attentional capture
Rapid shift of attention to some salient stimuli
4 parts of the Filter Model of Attention
Sensory Memory –> Filter –> Detector –> (Short Term) Memory
What is a model?
A representation of something
What does a filter do in the filter model of attention?
Uses RAW DATA (pitch, location, intensity, etc.) to tend to important information, allowing it to enter awareness.
Differentiate early-selection models and late-selection models
early-selection: data is filtered before meaning/processing. (attention happens before meaning)
late-selection: data is filtered after meaning/processing. (attention happens after meaning)
What is the detector’s role in the filter model of attention?
To assign meaning or make sense of things after filter.
What is the problem with filter model of attention? How did they find this?
Problem: There are things that don’t get sent to the detector but still get processed.
eg. Dichotic Listening Track: 2 different tracks in each ear, they recalled things that were filtered out.
Treisman’s Attenuation Model of Attention (4 parts)
alt name?
Leaky Filter Model
Messages –> Attenuator –> Dictionary Unit –> Memory
What 2 tracks are between attenuator and dictionary unit in the Treisman Model?
Attended and unattended tracks.
What model of selection is the Treisman Attenuation Model? what does it entail?
It’s mixed early and late selection.
Entails that there’s both raw data and meaning in the filtering/attenuating stage. Both before and after meaning, there’s attention involved.
How do things go from dictionary unit to memory?
There’s a threshold of activation to enter STM
Do different stimuli have different thresholds to enter memory (Treisman’s Model)?
Yes. For example, your name has very low threshold.
Where does all the attended info go to in Treisman’s Model?
STM
Processing Capacity
How much we can process at once
Perceptual Load
task difficulty
in the saying color of word task, what part has higher perceptual load?
The color has higher load.
2 Types of states in attention?
Alert, Resting
In alert state, what type of waves emitted?
What is the alert state?
Beta waves (15-30Hz)
Paying attention and awake
In resting state, what type of waves emitted?
What is the resting state?
Alpha waves (8-13Hz)
Not actively paying attention but awake
Frontoparietal Attention Network
A process describing the alert state of attention. The frontal and parietal lobes interact to direct attention.
Process of visual task looking in frontalparietal attention network
Light hits eye, transduction, feature detectors, feature maps, salience maps/priority maps
Which maps are a top-down process, which are a bottom-up?
What does this mean?
Top-down: Priority maps
Bottom-up: Saliency maps
This means top-down uses cognitive processes and focuses attention based on that rather than saliency of some attributes.
Which of the two ‘maps’ focuses attention on stimuli that we look for?
Priority maps
What type of network is frontoparietal attention network? (Centralized vs. Distributed)
Distributed processing network
Where does the feature detectors and feature maps section of the frontoparietal network occur in the brain?
Visual cortex
How do feature maps then go to saliency maps then to eye?
The primary parietal cortex then to Frontal Eye Fields (FEF) then to superior colliculus (SC)
How do feature maps go to the priority maps then to eye?
Informs the priority parietal cortex through the frontal eye fields, then to the superior colliculus
The frontalparietal network. Does it happen before or after our conscious awareness?
Before.
Simultagnosia
‘tunnel vision’
The frontoparietal attention network cannot consciously pay attention (priority maps don’t work?)
There’s only salient info but no control or goals
The Default Mode Network
Where the brain defaults to (where the brain is active) when we’re zoned out.
What is resting state?
A state where we’re not alert and pay no conscious attention
2 Hypotheses for how attention works in the resting state
1) Sentinel Hypothesis: “watching out” our brain monitors stimuli and keeps an eye out for salient info
2) Internal Mentation Hypothesis: “mind wandering” our brain mindlessly tries to tie pass experiences with new stimuli. Adds meaning to what we’re currently experiencing.
