Types of Attention in Psychology

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Questions and Answers

What occurs when an individual must perform two tasks that require attention simultaneously?

Joint attention

Divided attention (correct)

Directed attention

Selective attention

What is the best description of selective attention?

The ability to maintain attention amid distractions (correct)

Focusing on multiple stimuli simultaneously

Directing attention towards external stimuli only

The process of splitting attention evenly between tasks

Which type of cues capture our attention without conscious effort?

Implicit Cues

Explicit Cues

Exogenous Cues (correct)

Endogenous Cues

What is a key feature of in-attentional blindness?

Unawareness of unexpected stimuli in the visual field Signup and view all the answers

What defines directed attention?

The sustainable focus on a single task Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon occurs when someone can focus on one voice in a crowded environment?

Cocktail party effect Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about endogenous cues is true?

They require internal knowledge to respond to them Signup and view all the answers

How is attention best described in the context of divided attention?

A limited resource that cannot be effectively shared Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between change blindness and inattentional blindness?

Inattentional blindness occurs when one's attention is diverted elsewhere. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of attention is specifically involved in detecting signals or targets of interest?

Vigilance attention Signup and view all the answers

What role does the locus ceruleus play in attention?

It generates norepinephrine associated with attentional networks. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes covert orienting?

It allows attention to be redirected without physical movement. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of executive attention?

Monitoring conflicts and directing goal-oriented behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is attentional capture?

It occurs when an object suddenly draws your focus. Signup and view all the answers

In Broadbent's Early Selection Theory, what happens to unattended information?

It is briefly registered but filtered out immediately. Signup and view all the answers

Which neurotransmitter is crucial for modulating the orienting attention network?

Acetylcholine Signup and view all the answers

How does practice affect attention during task performance?

It makes attention less necessary for skilled tasks. Signup and view all the answers

What can lead to neglect syndrome?

Damage to areas controlling spatial attention. Signup and view all the answers

What effect does aging have on alerting attention?

It can lead to reduced capacity but not directly linked to other disorders. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of selective attention, what does the shadowing task evaluate?

The effectiveness of focusing on a specific auditory input. Signup and view all the answers

Which mechanism allows an individual to focus on one person's voice in a noisy room?

Selective attention. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Divided Attention

Attention is a limited resource. Performing multiple tasks simultaneously involves switching between them instead of truly doing them at once.
Divided attention happens when a person must do two tasks requiring attention at the same time.

Joint Attention

Joint attention involves two individuals focusing on the same object.

Directed Attention

Directed attention allows sustained focus on a single task or object, like a Necker cube.
Attention is the focusing or concentrating on something, ignoring other stimuli.

Selective Attention

Selective attention involves choosing one task over another (e.g., watching TV or studying).
Attention can be selectively focused like a flashlight illuminating one area at a time.
An individual can only focus on one thing at any given moment.

Types of Attention Cues

Exogenous (External) Cues: These cues automatically capture attention without conscious effort (e.g., bright colors, loud noises, "pop-out" effects). External events drive this type of attention.
Endogenous (Internal) Cues: These cues require internal knowledge (e.g., arrows, understanding instructions) and intention (e.g., following an arrow) to direct attention. Internal events drive this type of attention.

Cocktail Party Effect

The ability to focus on one voice in a crowded room or respond to your name is an example of endogenous attention.

Inattentional Blindness (Perceptual Blindness)

This is failing to notice something in plain sight due to attention being directed elsewhere.
An example is not noticing a fire extinguisher because attention is elsewhere.

Change Blindness

Change blindness describes the failure to notice changes in the environment.
This is a notable difference from inattentional blindness. An example would be not noticing a mother getting a haircut.

Stimuli Types

Distal stimuli: Objects and events around you that are important.
Proximal stimuli: The sensory patterns of these objects, like light patterns on your retina.

Orienting Mechanisms

Covert orienting: Focusing attention without body movement.
Ove rt orienting: Turning part or all of your body to maximize sensory input.

Attentional Capture

Attentional capture happens when an object or stimulus's movement attracts attention.

Neglect Syndrome

Damage to the brain can cause a disruption in the spatial dimension of divided attention.

Vigilance and Signal Detection

Vigilance is a type of attention involving detecting a signal or target, like noticing a pothole.
These processes prime quick reactions once a signal is detected.
Previous practice improves skill performance. Excessive arousal is detrimental, but increased arousal can enhance attention too.
Expert performance requires less attention.

Attention Networks and Aging

Alerting attention is affected by regular aging but deficits aren't usually associated with schizophrenia.
Orienting attention involves changing focus between stimuli (affected by acetylcholine).
Executive attention plays a role in goal-directed behavior, monitoring conflicts in internal processes, and anticipating the effects of actions (related to dopamine).

Theories of Selective Attention

Broadbent's Early Selection Theory:
- Information enters a sensory register and is then passed to a selective filter.
- The filter lets through info based on characteristics like voice, pitch, etc., filtering out the unheard.
- Finally, the information is passed to perceptual processes, gaining meaning.
- One important, critiqued weakness of this theory is that it predicts we should not be able to understand our name in the unattended channel, which clearly we can.

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Description

Explore the different types of attention such as divided, joint, directed, and selective attention in this quiz. Understand how attention functions in daily tasks and what cues draw our focus. Test your knowledge on the mechanisms of attention and its impact on our abilities.