6) Attention I

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Questions and Answers

What was the main conclusion of the own-name effect study conducted by Moray?

Participants could not recall any information from the irrelevant ear.

Participants only noticed information if it was presented to the relevant ear.

All information was processed equally regardless of relevance.

A significant number of participants detected their own name despite it being in the irrelevant ear. (correct)

In Treisman's message switching experiment, what was noted about participants' recall?

Participants accurately repeated information exclusive to the shadowed ear.

Participants only reported information from the unshadowed ear.

Participants often integrated information from both ears, including the irrelevant one. (correct)

Participants forgot the message that was not being shadowed.

How does attention affect the processing of information according to early selection models?

Attention ensures both relevant and irrelevant information is equally processed.

Attention filters out all information, resulting in no analysis of channels.

Attention enables the selection and further analysis of relevant information only. (correct)

Attention allows irrelevant information to be understood with greater depth.

Which of the following best describes the implications of the study by Moray for early selection theory?

It provides evidence that participants can be aware of unattended information. Signup and view all the answers

What does the filtering of irrelevant information depend on according to the interim summary?

Basic physical stimulus properties of the information. Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary characteristic of attention as described in the content?

Attention can be captured to some extent. Signup and view all the answers

Which metaphor is used to describe attention as a process of focusing on specific information?

Spotlight metaphor Signup and view all the answers

In the context of visual search, what does the term 'Pop-out Search' refer to?

When a target stands out immediately among distractors. Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon illustrates the idea that attention can be divided?

Listening to a lecture while analyzing a graph Signup and view all the answers

How is attention described when it comes to managing multiple sources of information?

Attention is limited and can be overwhelmed. Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of 'selective attention' imply as explained in the content?

You actively ignore irrelevant stimuli while focusing on one. Signup and view all the answers

What classic experimental paradigm focused on understanding simultaneous messages?

Broadbent's filter theory Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about attention is incorrect?

Attention is entirely under conscious control. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a key characteristic of Broadbent's filter theory?

Only the most relevant information is filtered Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a situation that demands high levels of attention?

Managing air traffic control operations Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of attention is illustrated by the 'zoom lens metaphor'?

The adjustment of attention to inspect specific areas more closely. Signup and view all the answers

In modern attention research, which period is referred to as the 'cognitive revolution'?

The shift from behaviorism to cognitivism Signup and view all the answers

What role does goal-directedness play in attention management?

It allows you to create specific targets for your focus. Signup and view all the answers

Why is Broadbent considered one of the founding fathers of modern attention research?

His theories significantly influenced future research on attention Signup and view all the answers

What distinction does early selection refer to in attention research?

Filtering of information before it reaches awareness Signup and view all the answers

What common issue in attention is illustrated by change blindness?

Failure to notice changes in a visual stimulus Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary structure of the example sentences used in Broadbent's task?

‘call-sign’, go to ‘colour’ ‘number’ now Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon does the cocktail-party problem address?

Recognizing a singular voice among many Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome when participants shadowed two messages from the same speaker played to both ears?

Participants found it difficult but manageable after repetition Signup and view all the answers

In Broadbent's experiments, what percentage of questions were answered correctly by participants?

50% Signup and view all the answers

What kind of listening does Cherry's condition 2 involve?

Dichotic listening Signup and view all the answers

What role does spatial separation play in the ability to attend to one speaker?

It makes it easier to attend to one ear Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was a key finding in Cherry's experiment regarding irrelevant messages?

Irrelevant messages can interfere with task performance Signup and view all the answers

What was the commonality of the messages in Cherry's condition 1?

Both messages were delivered by the same speaker Signup and view all the answers

What is the main role of the selective filter in Broadbent's filter theory?

To identify information for further processing based on physical properties Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about attending to multiple messages is true?

When physical cues are present, such as location, attending to multiple messages becomes easier. Signup and view all the answers

What process occurs in the limited capacity channel according to Broadbent's model?

Serial processing, where only one message is handled at a time Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the focus of attention in Broadbent's model?

It is another term for working memory that highlights its limited capacity. Signup and view all the answers

In Broadbent's model, when does the selective filtering occur?

Before stimuli are fully analyzed for meaning Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following types of information is likely to be ignored according to Broadbent's filter theory?

Unattended information without any physical cues Signup and view all the answers

What capabilities are attributed to the short-term memory store in Broadbent’s model?

It allows for parallel processing of simple physical stimulus properties. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of unattended information in Broadbent’s filter theory?

It does not get selected for further processing at the filter. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary conclusion regarding the analysis of seemingly unattended information?

It is not consistent with early selection theory. Signup and view all the answers

What was the result of the conditioning with electric shocks study?

Words affected skin conductance responses even when presented to the irrelevant ear. Signup and view all the answers

Which theory developed by Anne Treisman proposes that the filter is not completely selective?

Attenuation theory. Signup and view all the answers

According to late selection theory, what occurs before perceptual input is filtered?

Meaning of the input is fully analyzed. Signup and view all the answers

Which central assumption of late selection theory is considered questionable?

All input is analyzed automatically. Signup and view all the answers

What do the findings suggest about early selection theory?

It can occur, but not consistently. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the reasons that some concepts are more readily available according to attenuation theory?

Our own names have unique processing capabilities. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of early selection theory?

It posits that irrelevant information is usually not processed. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Cognitive Psychology 1: Attention

Modern attention research started in the 1950s.
The shift from behaviorism to cognitivism is significant, marking a "cognitive revolution".
Key figures in this field include Donald Broadbent (1926-1993).

Attention is Goal-Directed

Attention is deployed to achieve a specific objective.
Examples include locating someone in a crowd or focusing on a lecture.
Awareness of this goal-directed nature enhances attention management skills.

Attention Varies in Effort

Effort invested in deploying attention can vary.
Visual search tasks exemplify this.
Some searches are effortless ("pop-out"), while others demand more effort requiring a "serial search".

Attention Can Be Shifted

The spotlight metaphor illustrates how attention can be moved.
Attention can be moved from one location to another.
Shifting attention doesn't always necessitate eye movement.

Attention Can Be Zoomed

The zoom lens metaphor depicts narrowing focus on specific areas.
This is useful when looking for something specific in a large crowd visually.

Attention Is Selective

Attention acts as a filter in selective processes.
Focusing on one thing usually means ignoring other things (like conversations at a party).
The filter metaphor is predominant in early modern attention research.

Attention Is Limited

Attention is a finite resource.
Trying to attend to multiple things simultaneously can overload attention.

Attention Can Be Captured

While attention is often under voluntary control, it can also be involuntarily captured by stimuli.
The intensity of features like color can trigger involuntary attention.

Attention Can Be Divided

Dividing attention is managing attention between multiple incoming stimuli.

Attending to the visual graph and the lecturer's voice on the same slide is an example of the division of attention between modalities.

Attention Lectures

Lecture 1: Introduction to modern attention research (1950s-1960s).
Lecture 2: Early and late selection models.
Lecture 3: Attentional limits (change blindness, inattentional blindness).

Today's Learning Objectives

Outline basic characteristics of attention.
Know classic paradigms (Broadbent, 1952; Cherry, 1953).
Describe Broadbent's filter theory (1958).
Critically evaluate early selection (understand and apprise alternatives).

Classic Studies: Modern Attention Research

Attention research emerged in the 1950s.
A paradigm shift from behaviorism to cognitivism defined this new era.
Gardner's book, "The Mind's New Science", provides crucial context.

Air Traffic Control

Air traffic control requires intensive attention.
Managing diverse pilot communications in real-time is challenging.

Broadbent (1952)

Broadbent examined if people can process multiple simultaneous messages.
Participants were exposed to two different auditory messages, a task demanding focus.
Results showed that the task was statistically more difficult than anticipated.

Cherry (1953)

Cherry explored the "cocktail party problem": understanding one voice among many.
Participants listened to two simultaneous messages.
Results indicated that unattended messages were processed to a limited capacity.

Broadbent's Filter Theory

Emphasizes a "filter" separating attended and unattended information.
Stages of information processing include sensory input, short-term memory, selective filter, and Limited capacity channel (P system).

Short-Term Memory Store

Information from various sensory sources enters one short-term memory store.
The sensory register/buffer and immediate/iconic/echoic memory are used.
Basic physical characteristics (e.g., location, pitch, intensity) are processed parallel.

Selective Filter

This filter, part of Broadbent's model, determines which information is processed further.
Physical properties of stimuli are used as the basis for selection.

Limited Capacity Channel

This component, (P system in Broadbent's model), processes information serially.
One item at a time is processed, the others wait.

Summary of Broadbent's Model

Attention is selective filtering ahead of meaning analysis.
Unattended stimuli do not pass this filtering stage.
Information is processed and stored according to how important it is to the person.

Early Selection in Broadbent's Model

Selective filtering occurs before full meaning analysis in the limited capacity channel.

Interim Summary

Attention operates across two or more channels of information.
Early selection models assume that relevant information is attended, and irrelevant information is ignored.
Irrelevant information is selected according to physical distinctions, while meaningful details are selected for deeper analysis.

Evidence Against Early Selection

Moray (1959) and Wood & Cowan (1995) showed individuals recognized their own names despite not consciously attending to information coming from the irrelevant channel.

Message Switching

Results from Treisman (1960) indicated that switches in audio content influenced participants' ability to process information from the irrelevant channel.

Conditioning with Electric Shocks

Corteen & Wood (1972) and others showed that exposure to an irrelevant channel can trigger physiological responses.
Results challenged the assumptions of early selection theories.

Alternatives to Early Selection

Attenuation theory: The filter isn't complete; some information can be processed to a limited degree or "attenuated" even if not consciously attended.
Late Selection Theory: Meaning is analyzed before filtering in the limited capacity channel.

Summary

Early selection is evident but not always definitive.
Meaningful details are processed, albeit sometimes to a limited degree.
Future lectures will analyze why irrelevant information is sometimes processed.

Studying That Suits You

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Description

Explore the intricate concepts of attention through a series of questions based on Moray's studies and early selection theories. This quiz delves into how attention influences information processing and its implications for psychological understanding. Perfect for students of psychology looking to deepen their knowledge.