Psychology Chapter on Attention and Filters

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Questions and Answers

How does the filter in Filter Theory function regarding stimulus selection?

It allows all stimuli to pass through for further processing.

It selects stimuli based on their semantic meaning.

It only allows stimuli that are recalled from long-term memory.

It protects the limited capacity channel from overload by selecting certain stimuli. (correct)

What was demonstrated by the 'Dear Aunt Jane' experiment in reference to Filter Theory?

Participants can only recall items presented in the attended channel.

Short-term storage does not retain any raw acoustic traces.

Meaningful context is prioritized over the ear of presentation for recall. (correct)

Attention operates solely based on physical characteristics.

In Filter Theory, what happens to stimuli stored in the short-term store (STS) if they are not selected for further processing?

They remain unchanged and are available for later recall.

They decay quickly and are lost after a brief period. (correct)

They can be accessed without any time delay.

They are consolidated into long-term memory immediately.

What does the term 'filter switching' refer to in the context of attentional selection?

The time required to shift attention from one stimulus to another. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is a conclusion drawn regarding attentional selection?

Only attended stimuli can provide access to the limited capacity channel for meaning extraction. Signup and view all the answers

What does Treisman's Attenuation Model propose about the filter's function?

It partially blocks stimuli, allowing some to get through. Signup and view all the answers

According to late selection theories, when does the filtering of stimuli occur?

After stimuli have been processed by long-term memory. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of the bottom-up selection mechanism?

It is reliant on stimulus-related factors. Signup and view all the answers

What evidence supports the notion of late selection in attention theory?

Semantic processing can occur on the unattended channel. Signup and view all the answers

How does the concept of message salience influence the filtering process in the Attenuation Model?

Highly salient stimuli may succeed in shifting attention. Signup and view all the answers

What is the cocktail party problem concerned with?

How we focus on one conversation in a noisy environment. Signup and view all the answers

What was the main contribution of Cherry's research in 1953?

Proposing a solution to the cocktail party problem. Signup and view all the answers

According to Broadbent's filter theory, where is the filter placed?

Between short-term store and limited capacity channel. Signup and view all the answers

Which experiment is mentioned as falsifying Broadbent's filter theory?

The ‘Dear Aunt Jane’ experiment. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes dichotic listening from binaural listening?

Dichotic listening presents different sounds to each ear. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of early selection theories of attention?

Filtering occurs at the sensory input stage. Signup and view all the answers

Which experiment supports early selection theory by demonstrating attentional filtering?

The ‘tap on the unattended channel’ experiment. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of evidence supports late selection theory?

Studies showing semantic processing of unattended information. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'dichotic' refer to in the context of auditory processing?

Two ears receiving different messages Signup and view all the answers

According to Cherry's findings, which type of change in the unattended message is typically noticed?

Change from male to female voice Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of the unattended message is typically perceived during dichotic listening?

Physical features like voice gender Signup and view all the answers

What is the main criticism of Cherry’s research on attention and memory?

It conflated perception with memory. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes preattentive processes?

Involve physical features of stimuli Signup and view all the answers

How did Cherry demonstrate the difficulty of selective attention?

By presenting both messages simultaneously with the same voice Signup and view all the answers

Cherry used which method to study the understanding of unattended messages?

Shadowing and dichotic listening tasks Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a change in the unattended message that would be easily noticed?

Switching from speech to a bell tone Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Cocktail Party Problem

Cherry (1953) described the cocktail party problem: the ability to focus on one conversation in a noisy environment.
Cherry used dichotic listening (two ears, different messages) and shadowing (repeating the attended message) to study attention.
He found unattended messages were not remembered, unless there was a change in physical features (male to female voice, speech to tone).
Pre-attentive processes (physical features) are processed before attention, focal attention is needed to decode meaning.

Filter Theory

Broadbent (1958) proposed the filter theory of attention: a filter selects stimuli for further processing based on simple physical characteristics.
The filter sits between the short-term store (STS), where stimuli are briefly stored, and the limited capacity channel, where meaning is extracted.
Evidence for filter theory:
- Dichotic digit stream task: participants remember digits better when recalled ear-by-ear (single filter switch) than following temporal order (multiple switches).
Limitations of filter theory:
- It does not account for the detection of meaningful information (e.g., one's name) in the unattended channel.

The Dear Aunt Jane Experiment

Gray & Wedderburn (1960) showed participants could recall words presented across different ears if they formed a meaningful phrase (e.g., "Dear Aunt Jane"). This supports the idea that attention is not limited to physical features.

The Attenuation Model

Treisman (1961) proposed attenuation theory as an alternative to filter theory.
Attenuation theory assumes the filter attenuates (weakens) unattended stimuli, rather than completely blocking them.
Filter strength varies: Highly salient stimuli (e.g., one's name) and semantically related material (e.g., "Dear Aunt Jane") can still be processed.

Early vs Late Selection Theories

Early selection theories (e.g., Broadbent, Treisman) claim the attentional filter operates before an item's meaning is processed.
Late selection theories (e.g., Norman) claim the filter operates after semantic processing.
Treisman & Geffen (1967): Participants showed some processing of information in the unattended channel (e.g., named target words), supporting early selection.

Evidence for Late Selection

McKay (1973): Participants were influenced by the semantic context of the unattended channel, even though they could not recall it. This supports the idea that unattended information is processed for meaning.

Late Selection Model (Norman, 1968)

Norman's late selection model incorporates both bottom-up (stimulus-driven) and top-down (goal-driven) processing.
Bottom-up activation arises from the stimulus itself, top-down activation is based on relevance to the task.
Both types of activation are needed for a stimulus to reach awareness, otherwise it decays.

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Description

This quiz explores the cocktail party problem and filter theory of attention as proposed by Cherry and Broadbent. It examines concepts like dichotic listening, shadowing, and the processes involved in selective attention. Test your understanding of how stimuli are filtered and processed in noisy environments.