Week 4

Question 1

PR Feature

Answer 1

suggest that shared features trigger memory
- more features shared help you know it (gibson 1969)

purpose: test feature theory

hypothesis: its harder to distinguish between letters that share features than those that dont

Method: see pair of letters on screen and say if they are the same or not
iv: how many features letters share
DV: reaction time

result: reaction time for similar letters is greater than different letters

conclusion: items with similar features take more time to distinguish due to processing them featurally

Question 2

Structural theory

Answer 2

(Helmholtz) The likelihood principle helps guide our unconscious imprints

• Step further than feature theory

Question 3

Gestalt theory

Answer 3

object perception
- what we view as the same or similar ( grouped things together)

proximity: how close things are ( people)

similarity: do they look alike

Closure: assume things are closed/ full

Question 4

Attention: process of allocating resources

Answer 4

Is a limited resource, not everything can be attended to
The more attention one thing gets the less attention the other thing receives

Testing it
- unattended information/ duel task

Question 5

Errors in attention

Answer 5

Inattentional blindness: you miss something unexpected ( right in front of you)

Change blindness ( when something has been changed without realization.

Conjunction errors:

Question 6

Treisman (feature integration theory)

Answer 6

Pre-attentive stage
- separate features
illusory conjunctions
- broken down and cant be put back
- combined features

Question 7

Balint’s syndrome

Answer 7

cant do a conjunction search only feature search - bottom up

Question 8

visual search task

Answer 8

method of looking at attention
- binding with one feature search
Conjunction search: when your completing two feature searches

Question 9

Attention and binding

Answer 9

we need some level of attention to do anything

Question 10

Theories of attention

Answer 10

Filter theory: filter for what information will enter our system
- some believe it is early before perception (meaning)

Question 11

Broadbent theory

Answer 11

assumptions: attention is selected on physical properties of sensory signal
- unattended info shouldn’t affect behavior

Testing: dichotic listening task

Question 12

Attenuate

Answer 12

attenuation can occur for both sensory and meaningful info

Question 13

late filter theory

Answer 13

sensory activation + pertinence= attentional awareness

Test semantic priming: priming someone to think about something by activating related concept
i.e lexical thinking task : indicate if string of letters = word ( dv usually RT)

Question 14

Capacity models

Answer 14

different task require different amounts
- finite resources

automatic task: explained
controlled processes : conscious awareness, inattention, cognition effort resources.

Question 15

Stroop Task

Answer 15

Automacity and reading
- conclusion reading is automatic

Question 16

Load models

Answer 16

how do you ignore distractions

Question 17

processing capacity

Answer 17

How much an individual can focus on their mental capacity