Attention and Consciousness in Psychology

Attention and Consciousness

• Attention is a cognitive process that involves selectively concentrating on one aspect of information while ignoring others.
• It acts as a filter prioritizing relevant information.
• Consciousness is awareness of ourselves and our surroundings, encompassing perceptions, thoughts, and feelings.
• Attention and consciousness are crucial for perceiving, processing, and interacting with the world.

Learning Objectives

• Define attention and consciousness in cognitive psychology, including fundamental principles.
• Recognize obstacles to attention and factors disrupting attentional processes.
• Understand automatic and controlled attention processes and their implications for cognitive function.
• Analyze how consciousness influences awareness and processing of mental activities.

Introduction

• Attention and consciousness are crucial cognitive concepts for how we interact with the world.
• Attention is the selective focus on stimuli, vital for managing information.
• Consciousness involves awareness of ourselves and our surroundings.
• Understanding these concepts illuminates phenomena such as multitasking, cognitive overload, and distractions.

Nature of Attention

• Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of information.
• Types include selective, divided, and sustained attention.
• Selective attention focuses on a specific stimulus while ignoring others.
• Divided attention involves managing multiple tasks or stimuli simultaneously, often reducing performance.
• Sustained attention maintains focus over a prolonged period, vital for tasks like studying.

Hindrances to Attention

• Cognitive load: Excessive information processing hinders focusing on relevant tasks.
• Distractions and interruptions: External stimuli can divert attention from primary tasks.
• Multitasking/ Divided attention: While appearing efficient, multitasking reduces performance due to divided cognitive resources, resulting in lower accuracy and slower task completion times.

Automatic vs. Controlled Processes of Attention

• Automatic processes are fast, unconscious, and often involve well-learned tasks. For example, recognizing a familiar face.
• Controlled processes require conscious effort and attention, are slower. For example, learning a new language or solving complex mathematical problems.

Nature of Consciousness

• Consciousness allows us to reflect on experiences, make decisions, and engage in complex problem-solving.
• It encompasses our mental states, enabling self-reflection and adjusting behavior.
• Awareness of body language and tone are essential for effective interpersonal communication.

Levels of Consciousness

• Levels of consciousness include the conscious (thoughts, sensations), preconscious (information retrievable with cues), and unconscious (inaccessible mental processes).
• Unconscious mental processes can include memories, emotions, or repressed thoughts.

Consciousness of Mental States

• Consciousness involves being aware of our thoughts, feelings, and cognitive processes.
• Metacognition involves evaluating our thought processes and strategies, improving understanding and problem-solving.

Memory

• Memory is the fundamental cognitive process of encoding, storing, and retrieving information.
• Learning, planning, and interacting with the world rely on memory functions.

Learning Objectives (Memory)

• Explain memory measurement tasks and methods.
• Understand various theoretical models of memory.
• Describe encoding, transfer, and retrieval processes in memory.
• Analyze factors influencing forgetting and memory distortions over time.

Memory Introduction

• Memory is more than a single entity; it is a complex system with different types and processes, from short-term to long-term memory.
• Studying memory helps improve educational methods, therapeutic approaches, and technological innovations for cognitive function.
• Cognitive psychology offers valuable insights into this complex mental function.

Tasks Used for Measuring Memory (Common Tasks)

• Recall Tasks: Participants retrieve information without cues.
• Recognition Tasks: Participants identify previously encountered items from a list.
• Working Memory Tasks: Assessing the ability to hold and manipulate information temporarily.
• Implicit Memory Tasks: Evaluating unconscious memory processes.

Models of Memory (Examples)

• Multi-Store Model: Consists of sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). Information flows sequentially from sensory memory to STM and, with rehearsal and encoding, to LTM.
• Working Memory Model: Expands on STM, emphasizing its role in active information processing. Components include a central executive, phonological loop, and visuospatial sketchpad.
• Levels of Processing Model: Memory retention is influenced by the depth of processing. Deeper semantic analysis leads to better retention.

Encoding, Transfer, and Retrieval Details

• Encoding transforms sensory input into a form for storage (visual, acoustic, or semantic).
• Transfer moves information between memory stores. Transfer can involve rehearsal or elaboration.
• Retrieval is the process of accessing information from memory by applying cues or triggers.

Forgetting and Memory Distortion

• Forgetting signifies the inability to retrieve information. Causes can be decay (traces fade over time), interference (other memories block retrieval).

• Memory Distortion occurs when external factors alter or influence memories. Examples include misinformation, false memories and source amnesia.

The Landscape of Memory: Mental Images, Maps, & Proportions

• Memory landscape involves visual representations (mental images), cognitive frameworks (maps), and relationships between memories (proportions).

• Mental images can be vivid and detailed or vague and fuzzy. Maps help organize memories. Proportions define relationships.

Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval (Details)

• Encoding transforms physical sensory inputs into usable memory representations. Storage retains this encoded information within memory. Retrieval accesses this information
• These three stages usually work cooperatively but sometimes are viewed sequentially,

Encoding and Transfer of Information

• Information must be encoded before storage in memory.
• Encoding happens in the short term, and, with proper transfer, it is eventually stored in long term memory.
• Encoding helps us store information and subsequently retrieve events and facts.

Forms of Encoding

• Short-term storage relies primarily on acoustic code, not visual code.
• Long-term storage is largely semantically encoded—via the meaning of words, not only the sound of words.

Transfer of Information from STM to LTM

• Interference and decay happen during transfer.
• Interference happens when competing information hinders retrieval.
• Consolidation connects new information or experiences to existing schemas allowing permanent storage.
• Strategies include elaborative rehearsal, maintenance rehearsal and mnemonics.

Organization of Information

• Memories are organized—often in categories
• Mnemonic devices help memorize unrelated items by giving them meaning.

Retrieval from Short-Term Memory

• During memory scanning tasks (retrieving info from short term memory), responses are faster when the target item is present in the set. If not present the reaction time is significantly longer.