Visual Attention

Question 1

What is smooth pursuit?

Answer 1

Visual attention allowing us to follow a moving object.

Question 2

What is the attentional spotlight?

Answer 2

The centre of the field of view. Half of the visual cortex is for processing the small section picked up by the fovea; a sharp, high definition image.

Question 3

What is the Attentional Limitations Paradox?

Answer 3

Although out attention is limited in size and capacity, we also have difficulty ignoring stimuli.

Question 4

If you’re attending to an area where a stimulus occurs you have enhanced processing, true or false?

Answer 4

True, this is selective attention. Data shows that there’s more activity in the occipital lobe when the stimulus appears where attention is directed.

Question 5

Explain the processing limitation of attentional spotlight.

Answer 5

Focusing attention on a particular aspect of the incoming visual information can come at a cost with respect to processing other incoming visual information.

Question 6

Explain the processing limitation of inattentional blindness.

Answer 6

Where you miss processing other information. Your brain received the information but it wasn’t processed at a level that you were aware of it, because attention was otherwise engaged.

Question 7

What are 4 paradigms used in the laboratory to assess limitations in processing information within the visual field?

Answer 7

1. Inattentional blindness paradigm
2. Change blindness paradigm
3. Attentional blink paradigm
4. Repetition blindness paradigm

Question 8

What are 2 paradigms used in the laboratory to assess limitations in ignoring information within the visual field?

Answer 8

1. Flanker task

2. Stroop paradigm