Attention and Its Types
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Questions and Answers

What type of attention is focused on one task while ignoring others?

  • Divided Attention
  • Signal Detection
  • Selective Attention (correct)
  • Search

What does divided attention involve?

  • Focusing deeply on a single stimulus
  • Detecting stimuli in a busy environment
  • Allocating resources to multiple tasks simultaneously (correct)
  • Locating a target among distractions

Which function of attention is primarily about finding one signal among many distractions?

  • Selective Focusing
  • Search (correct)
  • Divided Focusing
  • Signal Detection

What term describes the scenario when a valid signal is detected correctly?

<p>Hit (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Signal Detection Theory, what is a false alarm?

<p>Incorrectly indicating a stimulus is present when it is not (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the filter in cognitive processing?

<p>To block certain information and prioritize others. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes attention?

<p>Focusing on one object or thought while ignoring others. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the orienting response refer to?

<p>Reacting to changes in the environment automatically. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does conscious attention contribute to personal identity?

<p>By linking past experiences with current situations. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is implied by the term ‘channels’ in the context of attention?

<p>Sources of competing information that can be attended to. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does feedback from the environment serve in conscious attention?

<p>It helps monitor the effectiveness of our adaptiveness. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What process occurs when the filter allows certain information to be perceived?

<p>Inhibition of irrelevant stimuli. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect does attention NOT primarily involve?

<p>Randomly distributing focus among all stimuli. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of prolonged vigilance on performance?

<p>It leads to more misses when the individual is tired. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of search is characterized by looking for a target with distinctive features?

<p>Feature search (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do distracters influence the search process?

<p>They divert attention from the target stimulus. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does feature integration theory propose about stimulus perception?

<p>Features are registered early and in parallel while objects are identified later. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential outcome when making a conjunction search?

<p>Overlooking the target due to similar distracters. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What best describes the relationship between expectations and search performance?

<p>Expectations positively affect performance by improving focus. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of vigilance, what happens when targets are detected?

<p>Signals outside the focus are detected more slowly. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a false alarm during searching?

<p>Incorrectly signaling a target due to distracters. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What occurs during the initial stage of visual processing according to feature integration theory?

<p>Basic features such as color and shape are automatically gathered. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the 'master map' in feature integration theory?

<p>It contains all locations where features have been detected. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In focused attention stage, what happens when attention is directed to a specific location on the master map?

<p>Only features at that location are attended to and stored. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does similarity theory suggest about attention during visual searches?

<p>Attention is drawn to image objects based on their similarity to distracters. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to guided search theory, how is attention directed during a visual search?

<p>By ranking items according to attentional priority. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What factor is mentioned as influencing the difficulty of search tasks in similarity theory?

<p>The disparity among distracters. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens when a high-priority item is rejected in guided search theory?

<p>Attention moves to the next item in rank order. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does feature integration theory differ from similarity theory in terms of object recognition?

<p>Feature integration theory emphasizes visual feature separation. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one key function of attention in cognitive processes?

<p>To actively process a limited amount of information (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does heightened attention affect memory processes?

<p>It increases the likelihood of remembering attended information (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following refers to the overlap between attention and consciousness?

<p>They form two partially overlapping sets (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What cognitive processes can attentional shifts allow us to perform?

<p>We can select, shift, fail, wander, and divide attention (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between attention and sensory overload?

<p>Attention helps manage sensory overload (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does unconscious processing play in attention?

<p>It achieves better use of limited cognitive resources (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about attention is inaccurate?

<p>Attention can only be focused on one stimulus at a time (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the main challenges of attention?

<p>Maintaining awareness of multiple irrelevant stimuli (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two consecutive stages involved in all searches according to Guided Search Theory?

<p>Parallel and Serial (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of selective attention, what is the primary function of the dichotic listening task?

<p>To evaluate the ability to repeat back auditory messages (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which phenomenon describes the ability to focus on one channel of information amid a noisy environment?

<p>The Cocktail Party Phenomenon (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was indicated by Cherry's findings on shadowing in the unattended channel?

<p>Participants are unaware of changes in language or voice in unattended stimuli. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'spontaneous orienting responses' refer to in the context of selective attention?

<p>Response to significant information becoming available (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is it significant that participants could hear their names in the unattended channel during the dichotic presentation?

<p>It supports that emotional or personally relevant stimuli have a high priority in attention. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary conclusion of research on the Cocktail Party Phenomenon?

<p>Selective attention can impact the detection of stimuli related to personal significance. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the dichotic listening task, what type of changes were participants sensitive to in the unattended channel?

<p>Physical changes in the voice (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Attention

The process of focusing on a particular piece of information, while ignoring other information.

Orienting Response

An automatic response to a change in the environment, grabbing our attention.

Channels (of Information)

Sources of information we can attend to, like sounds, sights, or thoughts.

Filtering

The process of excluding unwanted information when focusing on something specific.

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Filter

A theoretical mechanism in our minds that blocks certain information from reaching our consciousness, allowing only relevant information to pass through.

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Conscious Attention

The process of actively focusing on something, monitoring interactions with the environment, and using feedback to adapt.

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Linking Past & Present (in Attention)

Connecting past experiences and memories with present information, creating a sense of personal continuity.

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Future Planning (in Attention)

Using information from our experiences and understanding of the present to plan for the future.

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Why is Attention Important?

Attention allows us to effectively manage our limited mental resources by selectively concentrating on specific stimuli.

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Conscious & Unconscious Attention

Attention involves both conscious (deliberate) and unconscious (automatic) processes. It's not always just about what we're aware of.

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Attention & Memory

We are more likely to remember something when we pay full attention to it. Attention boosts our memory.

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Shifting Attention

Our attention can shift between different stimuli. We can choose to focus on different things over time.

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Limited Attention

Attention is limited; it's impossible to attend to everything at once. We sometimes miss things because of this.

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Attention Wandering

Even with effort, our attention can wander. We can get distracted by something else, taking our focus away from the original task.

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Divided Attention

We can sometimes attend to multiple things simultaneously, but our ability to do so is limited and depends on the tasks.

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Selective Attention

Focusing on one task while ignoring others. This is the most common understanding of 'attention'.

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Signal Detection and Vigilance

The ability to detect the appearance of a signal in a busy environment.

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Search

Searching for a specific target among distracting stimuli.

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Signal Detection Theory (SDT)

A framework used to explain how we discriminate between stimuli based on the criteria we use for detection.

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Vigilance

The ability to maintain focus on a specific stimulus over a period of time, aiming to detect a particular target.

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Miss

A situation where a target is missed even though it was present.

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False Alarm

A situation where a non-target stimulus is identified as a target.

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Distracters

Non-target stimuli that distract from the target during a search.

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Feature Search

A type of visual search where the target is defined by a single feature.

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Conjunction Search

A type of visual search where the target is defined by a combination of features.

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Feature Integration Theory

A theory that suggests visual perception involves separate processing of features and objects. Features are processed automatically, while objects require attention.

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Focused Attention Stage

This stage of Feature Integration Theory involves consciously combining the individual features of an object to perceive the whole object, requiring focused attention.

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Master Map of Locations

A mental map that holds all the locations in the visual field where features have been detected. It helps guide attention and combine features together.

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Object Files

Temporary storage for features related to an object that are currently under attention. These 'files' build a complete representation of an object.

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Similarity Theory

This theory suggests that attention is drawn directly to objects rather than specific locations. The ease of finding a target depends on how similar it is to other objects in the scene.

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Target-Distractor Similarity

The idea that the difficulty of searching for a target depends on how different the target is from the distracting objects.

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Distractor Heterogeneity

The degree of variation among the distracting objects in a scene. More diversity makes it easier to find the target.

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Guided Search Theory

This theory combines top-down (conscious goals) and bottom-up (sensory input) information to prioritize items in a scene and guide attention. It emphasizes the parallel processing of information.

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Parallel Search

The part of Guided Search Theory where the search process activates all potential targets based on their features, like color or shape.

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Serial Search

The part of Guided Search Theory where the search process evaluates each activated target according to its activation level, selecting the target with the strongest activation.

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Dichotic Presentation Paradigm

A research method used to study selective attention, where participants listen to two different messages, one in each ear, and are asked to repeat back only one message.

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Cocktail Party Phenomenon

The ability to hear your own name in a noisy environment where you're focusing on something else.

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Dichotic Listening: Physical Changes

A common phenomenon where people can hear changes in the physical properties of unattended information, like a change in tone or voice, but not semantic changes, like language.

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The CPP and Unattended Information

The fact that the Cocktail Party Phenomenon contradicts the idea of complete filtering of unattended information, because it suggests that some unattended information is actually processed.

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Study Notes

Attention

  • Attention is the cognitive process of actively processing a limited amount of information from a vast amount of information available through senses and mental processes
  • Attention involves both conscious and unconscious processes
  • Attention is used to focus on relevant information and ignore irrelevant information, maximizing efficiency of mental resources
  • Heightened attention increases speed and accuracy of responses to interesting stimuli

Types of Attention

  • Attention can be categorized into various types
    • Selective attention: focusing on one stimulus while ignoring others
    • Divided attention: processing multiple tasks simultaneously
    • Sustained attention: maintaining focus over a prolonged period
    • Alternating attention: shifting focus between different tasks

Attention Theories

  • Feature integration theory: first stage of preattentive processing automatically gathers information about basic features of a stimulus. The next stage is focused attention, where the features are combined to perceive the whole stimulus. The master map of locations contains locations in which features have been detected
  • Similarity theory: attention is not drawn to locations but to objects. Search efficiency depends on similarities between objects in the scene
  • Guided search theory: ranked items based on top-down and bottom-up processing of the stimulus, prioritizing higher-priority items for attention

Signal Detection and Vigilance

  • Signal detection theory (SDT): a framework to explain stimulus detection based on criteria. There are four possible outcomes (hits, false alarms, misses, and rejections)
  • Vigilance: the ability to detect stimuli over a prolonged period, influenced by time, expectations, and performance. If a stimulus outside the field of focus is detected, it takes longer.

Relevant Terminology

  • Orienting response: a response to a change in the environment
  • Channels of information: sources of information we focus on
  • Filtering: excluding irrelevant information to focus on something specific
  • Search: scanning the environment for specific features; when searching, distracters can create false alarms- diverting attention away from target stimuli
  • Feature search: focusing on easily identifiable features
  • Conjunction search: more difficult, looking for a combination of features, needing focused attention

Dichotic Presentation Paradigm

  • Dichotic listening: a research method examining selective attention, with different messages played to each ear.
  • Shadowing: repeating one message from either ear back to the researcher
  • Participants successfully shadowed the attended channel (primary focus)
  • Cherry's participants could detect physical changes in the unattended channel, like the tone of the voice or a change in words
  • Participants are not able to process the meaningful content of unattended information

Cocktail Party Phenomenon (Effect)

  • Ability to focus on one channel of information amidst a noisy environment or multiple competing information sources.
  • Recognizing one’s name among unattended information sources.

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Description

Explore the fascinating cognitive process of attention in this quiz. Discover the different types of attention, including selective, divided, sustained, and alternating attention, and learn how these processes affect our ability to focus. Test your understanding of attention theories and enhance your knowledge of cognitive psychology.

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