Psychology Chapter 9: Visual Attention

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Questions and Answers

What happens when the density of surrounding items exceeds the critical density for individuation?

It produces crowding effects that hinder attention movement. (correct)
It enhances the ability to focus on a single item.
It leads to easier movement of attention between items.
It has no impact on attention allocation.

What is meant by 'object-based' attention?

Attention is allocated solely based on spatial locations.
Attention can be distributed across non-overlapping visual fields.
Attention is determined by the brightness of objects in the environment.
Attention selects perceptual objects rather than just locations in space. (correct)

In the absence of a sufficiently high perceptual load, what is likely to occur?

Attention will remain focused on target events.
Attention will spill over to non-target events. (correct)
Attention will only process target events.
Attention will cease to function entirely.

What did Neisser and Becklen's study demonstrate about selective attention?

Attention can effectively focus on one object amidst overlapping actions. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does high perceptual load affect attention?

It restricts attention to only target events. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of attention does the spotlight metaphor struggle to account for?

The allocation of attention to different objects in depth. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the results of crowding effects in visual perception?

Difficulty shifting attention between items. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which concept best resolves the early/late selection debate in attention studies?

The overall perceptual load of the task. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was easier for subjects when tasked with reporting attributes from overlapping objects?

Reporting two attributes from a single object (D) Signup and view all the answers

In the study regarding perception of height in figures, what affected task performance?

Whether the apices were perceived as part of one or two objects (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of object-based attention suggest about visual processing?

Attention operates over surfaces rather than individual features (A) Signup and view all the answers

What effect did manipulating depth perception have on recognizing L shapes behind squares?

It complicated the identification of the L shapes (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the findings referenced, what happens when subjects are required to attend to two objects occupying the same spatial location?

Their performance suffers compared to attending to one object (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'object-based representations' imply in visual attention studies?

They include complex mappings of visual features to objects (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant finding from the studies referenced regarding attention allocation?

Attentional allocation depends on the nature of the objects present (A) Signup and view all the answers

What conclusion can be drawn about occlusion and visual attention from the studies discussed?

The perceptual system struggles with occluded shapes (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does the evidence suggest about the movement of attention from one location to another?

Attention moves in a digital manner with no intermediate effects. (A), Attention moves instantaneously but does have effects on intermediate loci. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which argument is made against the division of attention into multiple spots?

Attention cannot be split into multiple beams. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What conclusion did recent studies support regarding the ability to split attention?

Attention can be allocated to four to five objects independently. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What did Castiello and Umilta argue regarding spatial attention?

Focal attention can be split and maintained across hemifields. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the findings of Kramer and Hahn (1995)?

Performance for targets remains unaffected by distractors between locations. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary debate regarding intermediate loci while attention shifts?

The influence of attention on intermediate loci is inconclusive. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the stance taken by Yantis (1988) concerning attentional shifts?

Intermediary effects of attention during shifts are not supported. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How many attentional foci can subjects reportedly maintain simultaneously according to studies?

Four to five, according to recent findings. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Instantaneous Attention Shift

Attention shifts where it is focused without requiring time to travel across the visual field. It can move quickly from one point to the next.

Attention's Effect on Intermediate Loci

Attention's effect on locations between its starting and ending points. Does it affect these intermediate locations as it's moving? This is debated.

Splitting Attention

The ability to allocate attention to more than one location or object simultaneously. For example, can you focus on two separate objects at the same time?

Spatial Attention Splitting Experiments

Studies where participants are asked to attend to two separate locations. This helps researchers understand if attention can be split.