Psychology Chapter on Perception and Attention

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Questions and Answers

What happens to the ability to remember a string of letters over time?

It remains constant.

It initially decreases, then improves.

It decreases with the duration of retention. (correct)

It improves significantly.

Why does performance deteriorate when participants have to report all displayed items?

The items become less familiar.

Participants do not understand the task.

The amount of information exceeds working memory capacity. (correct)

The display time is too short.

What distinguishes working memory from short-term memory?

Short-term memory is used for complex tasks.

Working memory involves manipulation of information. (correct)

Working memory is passive.

Short-term memory has a larger capacity.

Which task is used to test working memory by asking participants to remember sequences of blocks?

Corsi blocks task Signup and view all the answers

In the study of working memory, what effect does a longer delay have on memory accuracy?

Accuracy decreases with longer delays. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Wisconsin Card Sort Task primarily assess?

The ability to adapt to rule changes. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following has been identified as a consequence of frontal lobe lesions in various studies?

Difficulty in executing planned tasks. Signup and view all the answers

What is one way that working memory is utilized in action planning?

By organizing multiple tasks sequentially. Signup and view all the answers

What type of memory is primarily engaged when recalling the spatial sequence of objects?

Working memory. Signup and view all the answers

In research related to working memory, saccade tasks have been used to study which function?

Visual attention. Signup and view all the answers

What role does the delay activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) play in working memory?

It serves to maintain items in working memory. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the effects of PFC lesions on memory tasks?

PFC lesions impair the ability to recall recent stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of working memory, what effect do distractor stimuli have on delay activity in the visual cortex compared to the PFC?

Delay activity in the PFC is more robust against distractors. Signup and view all the answers

What happened when monkeys were tested on a delayed match-to-sample task in the presence of distractor stimuli?

Delay activity for the match item was disrupted. Signup and view all the answers

How does the memory span task indicate functional segregation within the PFC?

It demonstrates distinct activation patterns for different types of information. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common consequence of PFC lesions as observed in memory retention tasks?

Worsening performance as memory load increases. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best describes the delay activity in the inferior temporal cortex?

It reflects different stimuli during tasks. Signup and view all the answers

What does research indicate about the prefrontal cortex's role in temporal organisation of memory?

It is critical for maintaining the sequence of events. Signup and view all the answers

What does higher baseline activity in the PFC during encoding and retrieval phases suggest?

A correlation with correct trials and successful memory recall. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following tasks highlights the PFC's impairment in temporal memory assessment?

Recency judgment tasks concerning the order of events. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main strength of the recording method described?

Excellent spatial resolution and temporal measures Signup and view all the answers

In the biased competition model, what happens to unattended features?

They are filtered out from receptive fields Signup and view all the answers

What effect does attending to a stimulus have on neuronal competition?

It neutralizes the effects of other stimuli Signup and view all the answers

In the study by Kastner, what was the effect of attending to stimuli presented simultaneously?

Reduced BOLD activity in V4 compared to sequential presentation Signup and view all the answers

What did the study by Hopf et al. find regarding attention and spatial scale?

Attention is optimized for appropriate spatial scale tasks Signup and view all the answers

What was the focus of O'Craven et al.'s 1999 study?

Differentiating neuronal responses to static and moving objects Signup and view all the answers

What did Chelazzi et al. (1998) demonstrate about sustained attention?

It increases firing rates of neurons preferring cued stimuli Signup and view all the answers

What was revealed by multinoxel pattern analysis in the study on visual streams?

Maintaining an attentional template biases baseline activity Signup and view all the answers

What damage outcome was observed regarding the frontoparietal attention network?

Reduced visual evoked responses to attended stimuli Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes the interaction of attention with neuronal response?

Attention modulates neuronal activity based on preferred stimuli Signup and view all the answers

What did findings in studies reveal about feature-based attention?

It leads to enhanced activation in specific brain areas related to attended features Signup and view all the answers

According to the evidence provided, how is attention modeled in the biased competition framework?

Attention interacts dynamically with competing stimuli Signup and view all the answers

What does neuronal tuning refer to in the biased competition model?

Neurons preferentially respond to specific types of stimuli Signup and view all the answers

What is necessary for cognitive control beyond stimulus-driven behavior?

Working memory Signup and view all the answers

What happens in delayed response tasks involving working memory?

Individuals must remember the identity of a stimulus during a delay. Signup and view all the answers

Which region of the brain is crucial for sustaining working memory representations?

Lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) Signup and view all the answers

During working memory tasks, what is the effect of increasing the number of stimuli to remember?

BOLD response increases in the LPFC. Signup and view all the answers

What does the anterior-posterior gradient in the PFC organize?

Abstract representations of information Signup and view all the answers

Which task will likely engage the most anterior regions of the PFC?

Complex decision-making in novel scenarios Signup and view all the answers

What cognitive bias illustrates the concept of change blindness?

Inattentional blindness to significant changes Signup and view all the answers

How does the LPFC contribute to working memory during the delay period?

By maintaining the active representation of the task goal Signup and view all the answers

Which type of memory is tested through delayed response tasks according to the content provided?

Spatial working memory Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes habitual actions compared to goal-oriented actions?

They are automatic and stimulus-driven. Signup and view all the answers

Which cellular response trait in the LPFC reflects task-specific selectivity?

Malleability of responses based on task conditions Signup and view all the answers

What role do the 'what' and 'where' cells in the LPFC serve?

Responding to specific objects and their locations Signup and view all the answers

What function do networks in the PFC serve during n-back tasks?

Maintenance and manipulation of information in working memory Signup and view all the answers

What effect does interrupted visual continuity have on perception?

It complicates the integration of visual information over time. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Limited Perception

Mental experience feels complete but is constrained by limited perceptual systems.
Perception is adaptive, processing information relevant to goals, not all presented stimuli.
Early explanations focused on limited information processing capacity (Kahneman, 1973), resource limitations, and cognitive overload.
Modern views emphasize that combining information from distinct brain areas is crucial for perception.
Vision travels to the back of the brain, then information about "what" (temporal lobe) and "where" (parietal lobe) is processed.
Selective stimulus responses are generated in different brain areas.

Binding Problem

Combining features processed in separate brain areas is necessary for accurate perception.
Attention integrates these features to resolve the binding problem.

Attention in the Brain (Biased Competition Model)

Desimone and Duncan (1995) proposed biased competition:
- Different goals compete for neural responses.
- Competition can be biased by both top-down (goal-driven) and bottom-up (sensory-driven) mechanisms.
- Attention resolves competing features, contributing to accurate perception.

Evidence for Biased Competition Model

Methods include single-unit recordings in the visual cortex during visual attention tasks.
Results from these studies revealed how attention impacts neural activity:
- Stimuli compete for neuron activity.
- Unattended stimuli are filtered out in sensory receptors.
- Attention to specific stimuli resolves competition.

Explanation of Biased Competition Model

Neurons are receptive to particular stimuli.
Responses vary based on whether a stimuli is attended to or passively viewed; passively viewed stimuli undergo a decreased response from neural competition.
When attention is directed to a stimulus in particular neural pathways, the response depends on what is already present in the pathway.

Evidence in Humans (Kastner)

Tasks involved stimuli presented sequentially (no competition) or simultaneously (competition).
Attending to a location restores V4 BOLD (brain region) activity to sequential levels.
Simultaneous presentation of stimuli reduces activity in similar brain regions.

Attention across Scales (Hopf et al.)

Attention prioritizes appropriate spatial scales for the task demands.
Small-scale targets are detected by V4; large-scale targets are detected by LOC.

Feature-Based Attention

Attending to colour or motion modulates activity in V4 and MT/V5, respectively.

Object-Based Attention (O'Craven et al. 1999)

Attention to faces or houses modulates activity in FFA or PPA, respectively.

Bias in Biased Competition (Changes in Neuronal Activity)

Sustained attention enhances firing rates of neurons responding to the cued stimulus.
Attention maintains a temporary template that improves target processing efficiency.

Top-Down Control (Frontoparietal Attention Network)

Indirect evidence suggests PFC and parietal cortex involvement in attentional changes in the visual cortex.
Lesions and microstimulation studies in monkeys highlight the causal link between the frontoparietal network and visual cortex activity.

Task-Specific Modulation

Attentional modulation of downstream regions (e.g., MT/V5 in motion tasks, FFA in face tasks) is influenced by the specific task (Morishima et al).

Attention - The Standard Model

Attention involves psychological and neural functions to prioritize and select information regarding adaptive behaviour.

Beyond the Standard Model

Top-down signals arise from multifaceted sources.

Anatomy Behind Cognitive Control

Cognitive control (executive function) guides actions and thoughts based on perceptions, knowledge, and goals.
Goal-oriented behavior requires flexible and monitored actions, coordinated by a network of brain regions.
- Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (LPFC), Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC), and Frontal Pole (FP).
Medial Frontal Cortex (MFC) is crucial in monitoring behavior, modulating cognitive control needed to align with goals.
PFC development is gradual, playing a strong role in 'me-oriented' behaviours.
PFC connects with other brain regions (motor, perceptual, limbic).
PFC receives input from various brain structures, linking brain regions.

Cognitive Control Deficits

Frontal lobe lesions disrupt goal-oriented behavior, but not all aspects of cognition or memory.
Patients may exhibit perseveration, apathy, distractibility, impulsivity, or disorganized planning and decision-making.
Frontal lobe damage can impact social interactions even with intact intelligence and factual memory.
Unilateral or bilateral lesions impact various cognitive functions differently.
Deficits manifest in conditions like depression, schizophrenia, OCD, ADHD, and under stress.
Addiction disrupts PFC function, leading to behavioral issues.

Goal-Oriented Behaviour

Goal-oriented actions are linked to anticipated rewards or values.
Habitual actions are stimulus-driven and automatic, lacking conscious goal orientation.

Cognitive Control and Working Memory

Working memory is crucial for maintaining goals when actions are not solely stimulus-driven
PFC is essential for working memory, handling temporary information maintenance and manipulation.

Physiological Correlates of Working Memory

PFC's sustained activity during delays in working memory tasks might indicate the ongoing activation of remembered items.
PFC cells can be task-specific, responding to different stimuli based on task demands.
Working memory capacity correlates with PFC activation during sustained tasks.
Tasks with increasing complexity result in heightened PFC activity.
PFC activity during encoding can be observed in regions sensitive to the encoded stimulus.
Sustained activity in FFA when storing faces in WM during delays.

Organisational Principles of PFC

Posterior cortex handles sensory specialization, while the PFC exhibits a hierarchical organization with an anterior-posterior gradient reflecting abstraction levels.
Lateral regions of PFC integrate external information; medial regions connect to personal history/emotional contexts.

Discontinuity of Perception

Short-term visual perception is limited and visual information must be integrated over time, but this integration becomes more arduous with discontinuity.

Change Blindness

People often fail to notice significant changes in a scene when attention is directed elsewhere.

Iconic Memory

Visual information can be held in a brief sensory store (iconic memory), but decays rapidly.

Short-Term/Working Memory Tests

Corsi blocks and digit span are commonly used tests.

What is Working Memory for?

Working memory supports various functions like planning, saccade planning, and complex actions.

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Description

Explore the complexities of perception and attention in this quiz based on psychological principles. Understand how limited perception affects mental experiences and learn about the binding problem in the brain. This chapter dives into significant theories, including Kahneman's work and the biased competition model.