Introduction to Psychology Chapter 1: Attention

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary mechanism by which the brain registers certain information and rejects other information?

Bottleneck processing

Divided attention

Capacity attention

Selective attention (correct)

What is the term for the phenomenon where we can focus on one conversation among many people talking at the same time?

Dichotic listening

Shadowing

Cocktail party phenomenon (correct)

Dual-task technique

According to Cherry's dichotic listening research, what makes it more difficult to separate two messages?

Same voice for both messages (correct)

Different genders for the speakers

Similarity in voice location

Physical differences in voice intensity

What is the primary goal of the dual-task technique in studying attention?

To measure divided attention Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of bottleneck processing in attention?

We can only focus on one stimulus at a time Signup and view all the answers

How much of the unattended information do we typically remember?

Very little Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of selective attention?

To select specific stimuli and ignore others Signup and view all the answers

According to William James, what is the essence of attention?

Focalization and concentration of consciousness Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between active and passive attention?

The role of individual goals and expectations Signup and view all the answers

In a visual search task, what type of attentional process involves an individual's goals or expectations?

Active attention Signup and view all the answers

What is the opposite of attention, according to William James?

A confused, dazed, scatterbrain state Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of attention in visual perception?

To put together visual patterns as recognizable objects Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of Broadbent's selection filter?

To reject irrelevant messages and select one source for analysis Signup and view all the answers

According to Treisman's attenuation theory, what happens to non-shadowed messages?

Their volume is turned down, but not completely rejected Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between the Deutsch-Norman late-selection filter model and Broadbent's filter model?

The Deutsch-Norman model processes all information, while Broadbent's model rejects irrelevant information Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea behind Driver's concept of focused visual attention?

The limitation of our ability to respond to multiple objects in a cluttered scene Signup and view all the answers

What is the main contribution of single-channel theories to our understanding of attention?

They provide a framework for understanding the limitations of attention Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between the Deutsch-Norman model and other single-channel theories?

The Deutsch-Norman model is more flexible and processes all information Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between controlled processing and automatic processing?

Controlled processing requires attentional resources, while automatic processing does not Signup and view all the answers

Which task competes for the same modules in Schneider and Shiffrin's model?

Similar tasks Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'Cocktail Party Effect'?

The ability to understand one conversation in a noisy environment Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of automatic processing?

Conscious awareness Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between similar tasks and dissimilar tasks?

Similar tasks use the same modules, while dissimilar tasks use different modules Signup and view all the answers

What is attention, in the context of psychology?

The ability to selectively focus on certain stimuli or tasks Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of mechanisms of attention in the context of vision?

To select objects of interest for further processing Signup and view all the answers

According to Feature Integration Theory, what happens to perceptual features of objects prior to attention?

They are encoded in parallel Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the involuntary attentional capture of our response, beyond our control?

Involuntary Attentional Capture Signup and view all the answers

What type of visual search task requires attention to a specific feature of the target, making it more difficult?

Conjunctive search Signup and view all the answers

What is the disorder characterized by a lack of attention to one side of the visual field?

Visual Neglect Disorder Signup and view all the answers

What is the phenomenon where we cannot help but respond to a particular stimulus, despite our efforts to focus on something else?

Stroop Effect Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Attention Overview

Attention is the process of selecting and focusing on specific information or stimuli while ignoring others.
It involves mechanisms that register certain information and reject others, whether or not the rejected information enters conscious awareness.

Selective Attention

Refers to the ability to focus on one stimulus or message while ignoring others.
Cherry's dichotic listening and shadowing research (1953) demonstrated that people can focus on one conversation while ignoring others.
Physical differences such as voice intensity, location, and gender affect selective attention.
Even when we're not attending to certain information, very little of it is remembered.

Divided Attention

Refers to the ability to process multiple stimuli or messages simultaneously.
The dual-task technique is used to study divided attention.

Theories of Selective Attention

Broadbent's filter model (1958): information is filtered early in the processing stream, and only attended information is processed further.
Treisman's attenuation model (1964): unattended information is not rejected, but its "volume" is reduced, allowing it to still be processed.
Deutsch and Deutsch's late-selection filter model (1963): all information is processed, and selection occurs later in the processing stream.

Focused Visual Attention

Driver (1996): visual attention is similar to auditory attention, but with more opportunities for attending to multiple stimuli.
Automatic processing: no demands on attentional resources, and unconscious awareness.
Controlled processing: demands on attentional resources, and conscious awareness.
Schneider and Shiffrin's automaticity model (1977): tasks can be automatic or controlled, depending on attentional resources.

Visual Search

Neisser (1967): visual search involves processing simultaneous items, but not fully being aware of them.
Treisman (1998): focus on stimulus first, and then feature synthesis into a pattern.
Feature integration theory (Treisman, 1988, 1992): features of objects are separable from the object itself, and are encoded in parallel and prior to attention.
Visual search tasks: feature search (target has a unique feature) and conjunctive search (target has no unique feature).

Attention Switching

Visual neglect disorder (Ramachandran; Rogers-Ramachandran, 2009): a disorder of attention where attention is involuntarily captured.
Involuntary attentional capture: response beyond our control.
Voluntary attentional vigilance: focus on some particular aspect.

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Description

Explore the concept of attention in psychology, including methods of studying attention, selective attention, auditory attention, and divided attention. Understand how our brains filter out irrelevant information and focus on meaningful stimuli.