ch 4 glossary

attention hypothesis of automatization

The proposal that attention is needed during a learning phase of a new task

Attenuation theory

A model of attention in which unattended perceptual events are transmitted in weakened form but not blocked completely before being processed for meaning.

Automatic processing

The carrying out of a cognitive task with minimal resources. Typically, automatic processing occurs without intention, interferes minimally with other cognitive tasks, and may not involve conscious awareness.

controlled processing

the carrying out of a cognitive resources. Typically, controlled processing occurs on difficult and/or unfamiliar tasks requiring attention and is under conscious control.

dichotic listening task

A task in which a person hears two or more different, specially recorded messages over earphones and is asked to attend to one of them

divided attention

the ways in which a cognitive processor allocates cognitive resources to two or more tasks that are carried out simultaneously

dual-task performance

An experimental paradigm involving presentation of two tasks for a person to work simultaneously

event-related potential (ERP)

an electrical recording technique to measure the response of the brain to various stimulus events

feature integration theory

a proposal that perception of familiar stimuli occurs in two stages. The first, automatic, stage involves the perception of object features. The second, attentional, stage involves the integration and unification of those features.

filter theory

a theory of attention proposing that information that exceeds the capacity of a processor to process at any given time is blocked from further processing

inattentional blindness

the phenomenon of not perceiving a stimulus that might be literally right in front of you, unless you are paying attention to it.

late selection theory

A model of attention in which all perceptual messages, whether attended or not, are processed for some meaning.

priming

the facilitation in responding to one stimulus as a function of one prior exposure to another stimulus.

psychological refractory period (PRP)

an interval of time following presentation of a first stimulus during which a person cannot respond to a second stimulus, presumable because of a central bottleneck in attentional processing.

selective attention

the focusing of cognitive resources on one or a small number of tasks to the exclusion of others.

spatial cue

A cue that directs attention to a particular area in space

Stroop Effect

A task invented by J.R. Stroop in which a subject sees a list of words (colour terms) printed in an ink that differs from the word named (for example, green printed in blue ink). The subject is asked to name the ink colours of the words in the list and demonstrates great difficulty in doing so, relative to a condition in which non-colour words form the stimuli.

visual search

a task in which subjects are asked to detect the presence of a particular target against an array of similar stimuli.

cognitive psychologists have offered several different definitions of the term attentions. Which one seems to you the most useful? Describe and defend your criteria.

sing, while attenuation theory proposes that attention acts as an amplitude control, adjusting the processing of information.

Describe the dichotic listening task, and explain why cognitive psychologists find it a useful way to study attention.

In this task, participants listen to two different auditory stimuli presented simultaneously to each ear (i.e., dichotically). For example, one ear may be presented with a story and the other ear with a different message, such as a list of numbers.
Participants are usually instructed to attend to one ear and ignore the other. The goal of the experiment is to examine how attention is allocated between the two inputs and how information is processed when presented to each ear. The dichotic listening task allows researchers to examine how attention is selectively allocated to one ear and ignored in the other. This provides insight into the process of selective attention and how it can be influenced by task demands, personal biases, and other factors. The dichotic listening task also allows researchers to study divided attention, or the ability to attend to multiple sources of information at the same time. By comparing performance on the two ears, researchers can determine how much attention is being divided between the two sources and how effectively information is being processed.

describe the differences and similarities among filter theory, attenuation theory, and late-selection theory.

Similarities: All three theories agree that attention is a selective process and that information is processed differently based on the allocation of attention. Additionally, all three theories propose that attention operates in some way to control the processing of information.
Differences: The main difference between the theories lies in the specific mechanism they propose for how attention operates and the stage of processing at which attention operates. Filter theory and attenuation theory propose that attention operates at an early stage of processing, while late-selection theory proposes that attention operates at a later stage of processing. Additionally, filter theory proposes that attention acts as a filter, selecting information for further processing, while attenuation theory proposes that attention acts as an amplitude control, adjusting the processing of information.

Discuss the similarities between change blindness and inattentional blindness.

Both change blindness and inattentional blindness highlight the fact that our attentional and perceptual systems are limited and that we can miss important information even when it is right in front of us.
Both involve failure to notice changes or events: In both cases, participants fail to notice changes or events in their environment, even when those changes or events are significant.
Both highlight the role of attention in perception: Both change blindness and inattentional blindness highlight the important role that attention plays in perception. If our attention is focused elsewhere, we are less likely to notice changes or events in our environment.

Describe and evaluate Kahneman's capacity model of attention. What, if any, real-world phenomena does it predict or explain?

Kahneman's capacity model of attention refers to the idea that attention is a limited resource and that we have a limited capacity for processing information at any given time. According to this model, there is a central bottleneck in the processing of information, and the amount of information that can be processed at one time is limited.
Kahneman's capacity model suggests that we have two modes of processing information: the automatic mode and the controlled mode. The automatic mode is fast, effortless, and unconscious, while the controlled mode is slow, effortful, and conscious. According to the model, the automatic mode is responsible for the processing of simple and routine tasks, while the controlled mode is responsible for the processing of complex and novel tasks. The model can be used to explain inattentional blindness, the phenomenon in which we fail to see objects or events in our environment when our attention is focused elsewhere. According to the model, when our attentional capacity is fully occupied by a task, we are less likely to notice unexpected events, because our automatic mode is unable to process the information.

What questions are answered by the work on the neurological underpinnings of attention? What questions are raised?

Evaluate Posner and Snyder's criteria for what makes a cognitive process automatic. Which criterion is the strongest, and why?

In my opinion, the criterion of resistance to interference is the strongest criterion for determining automaticity. This criterion is particularly strong because it speaks to the robustness of the process and its ability to operate effectively despite other demands on attention or cognitive resources.

Consider the studies on divided attention. Can these findings be used in training workers who need to process a great deal of information from different sources simultaneously? Why or why not?

Studies on divided attention have shown that it is possible to improve one's ability to divide attention through practice and training. In the workplace, this kind of training could be useful for workers who need to quickly switch between different tasks, monitor multiple sources of information, or respond to a variety of demands while remaining focused and productive. This could include jobs such as air traffic controllers, emergency responders, or customer service representatives. However, it is important to note that there are limits to divided attention, and some tasks may still require focused attention and may not be appropriate for divided attention training.