EXS 313 Chapter 3 Attention and Motor Performance Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering foundations of attention, processing stages, attentional focus, and arousal performance under pressure from EXS 313 Chapter 3.

Attention (Motor Control Context)

The capacity to process information, direct awareness, and allocate cognitive resources toward internal or external environmental cues during motor performance.

Limited Capacity (Property of Attention)

The key characteristic of attention stating that human processing resources are finite, restricting the amount of information that can be attended to at one time.

Selective Attention (Property of Attention)

The property of attention that allows an individual to intentionally focus on specific relevant environmental stimuli while ignoring irrelevant background distractors.

Dynamic / Shiftable Attention

The property of attention that allows an individual to consciously or involuntarily switch attentional focus between different tasks, cues, or spatial locations.

Multi-tasking

The attempt to perform two or more processing tasks simultaneously, which can lead to performance degradation if total attentional demand exceeds capacity.

Interference (Attentional Context)

The performance decrement or disruption that occurs when attempting to perform multiple tasks at the same time due to competition for cognitive resources or physical structures.

Capacity Interference

Interference that occurs when the combined attentional demand of two tasks exceeds the total available cognitive processing resources of the central nervous system.

Capacity Interference Example

Attempting to solve a complex math problem mentally while making a difficult tactical decision in soccer, causing slow or impaired processing in both tasks.

Structural Interference

Interference that occurs when two tasks physically compete for the same sensory receptor, effector organ, or physical structure at the exact same time.

Structural Interference Example

Trying to look at a GPS map on a phone screen while simultaneously maintaining visual focus on the road ahead, as both require the eyes' visual receptor.

Attentional Demand and Motor Practice Rule

As an individual practices and develops a motor skill, the total attentional demand required to execute that skill continuously decreases.

Dual-Task Probe Protocol

The experimental paradigm used by motor control researchers to evaluate changes in attentional demand associated with motor skill practice and learning.

Primary Task (Probe Paradigm)

The main motor skill being practiced and evaluated for attentional demand during a dual-task probe research experiment.

Secondary Task / Probe Stimulus

An unpredictable stimulus (such as an auditory tone) presented during primary task execution requiring a rapid discrete response (such as pressing a button).

Probe Baseline Reaction Time

The reaction time measured when responding to a probe stimulus alone while sitting at rest without executing the primary motor task.

Probe Reaction Time During Task

The reaction time measured when responding to a probe stimulus presented while simultaneously performing the primary motor skill.

Pre-Practice Probe RT Difference

A large difference between probe baseline reaction time and probe reaction time during task performance, indicating high attentional demand of the novice skill.

Post-Practice Probe RT Difference

A smaller difference between probe baseline reaction time and probe reaction time during task performance, demonstrating reduced attentional demand after practice.

Parallel Processing

A type of information processing where two or more streams of information are processed simultaneously without mutual interference or competition.

Serial Processing

A type of information processing where tasks or stimuli are processed sequentially, one after another, creating delays if a second task arrives before the first completes.

Central Resource Capacity Theory

A theory proposing that human attention exists as a single flexible pool of limited resources distributed across all active processing tasks.

Multiple Resource Theory

A theory proposing that human attention consists of several distinct pools of specialized resources (e.g., visual, auditory, motor) rather than a single pool.

Task Complexity and Attentional Demand

The direct relationship where higher task complexity or dynamic environmental conditions increase the total attentional demand required for execution.

Automaticity

The ability to execute a motor skill rapidly with minimal or no conscious attentional control after extensive practice.

Dual-Task Interference Magnitude

The quantitative degree of performance decrement observed when two tasks are attempted concurrently compared to performing each task individually.

Attentional Allocation Policy

The mental mechanism that determines how available attentional capacity is distributed among concurrent tasks based on priorities, novelties, and intentions.

Attentional Effort

The psychological and physiological energy expended by the nervous system to perform mental work or sustain focus on a task.

Primary Task Priority Principle

The experimental requirement in probe studies instructing participants to maintain maximum effort on the primary task regardless of probe occurrences.

Physical Receptor Competition

The physiological mechanism underlying structural interference where two tasks require simultaneous usage of identical physical pathways or organs.

Cognitive Resource Competition

The central nervous system mechanism underlying capacity interference where two mental operations require central processing capacity exceeding total supply.

Attentional Demand Progression

The shift during skill acquisition from high attentional demand requiring conscious processing to low attentional demand operating automatically.

Probe RT Difference Trend

The systematic decrease in the duration gap between baseline probe RT and dual-task probe RT as a motor skill becomes autonomous.

Probe RT Method Purpose

To objectively quantify the specific amount of central attentional capacity occupied by a motor skill at any given stage of learning.

EXS 313 Chapter 3 Focus

The scientific study of attentional capacity, processing stages, focus of attention, and arousal dynamics in human motor performance under Dr. Woodard.

Information Processing Framework

The theoretical model depicting human motor control as a series of mental operations comprising Stimulus Identification, Response Selection, and Response Programming.

Stimulus Identification Stage

The initial stage of information processing responsible for detecting, recognizing, and interpreting sensory environmental input.

Processing Type in Stimulus Identification

Primary reliance on parallel processing, allowing multiple visual, auditory, and tactile environmental stimuli to be processed simultaneously.

Cocktail Party Phenomenon

The phenomenon where an individual can tune into a single conversation in a noisy room, yet involuntarily register their name called across the room.

Cocktail Party Effect and Parallel Processing

Demonstration that unattended sensory information is processed in parallel at a subconscious level during the stimulus identification stage.

Attentional Capture

The involuntary shift of visual or auditory attention triggered by a highly salient, unexpected, or personally meaningful environmental stimulus.

Goalie Name Distraction Scenario

A coach calling a goalie's name during shot preparation triggers attentional capture, interrupting parallel stimulus processing and crucial visual focus.

Inattention Blindness (Inattentional Blindness)

The psychological failure to notice a fully visible but unexpected object or stimulus because visual attention is focused on another task.

Dangerous Contexts for Inattention Blindness

Real-world situations such as operating heavy machinery, piloting an aircraft, or driving a motor vehicle where unobserved hazards lead to accidents.

"Looked-But-Failed-To-See" Accidents

Traffic collisions resulting from inattentional blindness where a driver looks toward a motorcycle, pedestrian, or car but fails to consciously process its presence.

Sustained Attention

The cognitive capability to maintain continuous conscious focus and vigilance on a specific task or environment over an extended period.

Vigilance

Synonym for sustained attention, representing the state of readiness to detect and respond to rare, unpredictable environmental changes.

Mackworth (1948) Research Study

A classic study investigating operator vigilance using the Mackworth Clock Test to measure continuous target detection over prolonged durations.

Mackworth (1948) Protocol

Participants monitored a clock face pointer that stepped forward every second, requiring them to detect rare signal occurrences of a double step.

Mackworth (1948) Signal Jumps

The unpredictable target event consisting of $2\,s$ pointer jumps (double steps) among regular $1\,s$ pointer movements.

Mackworth (1948) Performance Decline Timing

Operators demonstrated a noticeable drop in signal detection ability after approximately $30\,minutes$ of continuous monitoring.

Vigilance Decrement

The progressive decline in target detection accuracy and response speed observed during sustained attention tasks over prolonged time periods.

Signal Frequency (Vigilance Factor)

A key factor affecting sustained attention where lower signal frequency leads to a faster decrement in operator vigilance.

Signal Intensity (Vigilance Factor)

A factor affecting sustained attention where weaker, less noticeable sensory signals reduce detection rate and accelerate operator fatigue.

Signal Duration (Vigilance Factor)

A factor in vigilance where brief stimulus presentations are significantly harder to detect over extended periods than long-duration signals.

Environmental Noise (Vigilance Factor)

External auditory or visual ambient distractions that increase cognitive load and accelerate the decline in sustained attention.

Rest Breaks (Vigilance Intervention)

Periodic brief pauses structured into continuous monitoring tasks that effectively restore attentional capacity and eliminate the vigilance decrement.

Stimulus Detection

The basic sensory awareness of the presence of environmental energy in the stimulus identification stage.

Pattern Recognition

The extraction of meaningful spatial or temporal structure from complex environmental inputs during stimulus identification.

Unattended Information Processing

Subconscious sensory analysis that continuously filters environmental inputs before conscious attentional selection occurs.

Perceptual Load

The amount of information processing required by the environmental scene, influencing whether early or late selection occurs.

Visual Search

The active, intentional visual scanning of the environment to locate specific critical performance cues.

Early Selection Model of Attention

A theoretical model proposing that unattended sensory information is filtered out prior to semantic processing during stimulus identification.

Late Selection Model of Attention

A theoretical model proposing that all sensory information is processed semantically before attentional selection limits response access.

Attentional Filter

The metaphorical mechanism that screens out irrelevant ambient input to prevent cognitive overload during stimulus identification.

Saliency

The physical property of a stimulus (such as brightness, contrast, or loudness) that draws automatic visual or auditory attention.

Driven Attention (Exogenous)

Automatic, bottom-up attentional allocation triggered directly by external environmental events.

Goal-Directed Attention (Endogenous)

Voluntary, top-down attentional allocation directed by personal intentions, tactical goals, or conscious focus.

Visual Fixation

Pausing visual gaze on a specific physical object or location to collect precise visual information.

Broadbent's Filter Model

The classic information processing model proposing a rigid single-channel filter early in the stimulus identification process.

Treisman's Attenuation Model

The model proposing that unattended stimuli are weakened rather than completely blocked, explaining the cocktail party effect.

Response Selection Stage

The second stage of information processing responsible for deciding what movement response to make given the identified environment.

Controlled Processing

A slow, serial, voluntary, and resource-demanding mode of processing that requires conscious cognitive control and active decision-making.

Controlled Processing Characteristics

Slow, highly demanding of attentional capacity, serial in nature, and subject to severe interference when performing multiple tasks.

Controlled Processing Task Example

A novice driver manually selecting gears in a stick-shift car or a novice basketball player actively deciding which pass to make.

Automatic Processing

A fast, parallel, involuntary mode of processing that operates without conscious awareness and places minimal demand on attentional capacity.

Automatic Processing Characteristics

Fast, minimal attentional demand, parallel in execution, highly resistant to interference, and developed through extensive practice.

Automatic Processing Task Example

An expert athlete executing a well-rehearsed skill like an experienced driver stepping on the brake at a red light.

Concurrent Controlled Processing Tasks

Attempting two controlled processing tasks simultaneously results in severe performance breakdown and mutual interference due to resource limits.

Automatic Processing and Multi-tasking

Allows execution of a secondary task concurrently because the automated task requires virtually no central attentional capacity.

Automatic Processing in Driving Limitation

Driving cannot rely exclusively on automatic processing because unpredictable traffic emergencies require immediate controlled response selection.

Closed Environment

A stable, predictable movement context where automatic processing is highly effective due to static environmental conditions.

Open Environment

A dynamic, unpredictable movement context requiring continuous controlled processing and rapid decision-making adaptations.

Ishigami & Klein (2009) Study Focus

An empirical investigation evaluating the impact of cell phone use (hands-free vs handheld) on human visual target reaction time.

Ishigami & Klein (2009) Key Finding

Both hands-free and handheld cell phone conversations cause significant and equivalent reaction time delays in driver response selection.

Stroop Test

A psychological experiment where participants name the ink color of printed color words, testing interference between automatic reading and color identification.

Stroop (1935) Reaction Time Slowdown

Participants experienced a $40\%$ slower reaction time when the printed word and ink color were incongruent compared to congruent conditions.

Stroop (1935)

The researcher who published the classic 1935 study demonstrating cognitive interference during incongruent word-color ink naming tasks.

Stroop Effect Information Processing Explanation

Involuntary automatic word reading creates competitive response selection interference against the controlled task of ink color identification.

Congruent Stroop Condition

Trial where the written word matches the ink color (e.g., word RED printed in red ink), yielding rapid, effortless response selection.

Incongruent Stroop Condition

Trial where the written word conflicts with ink color (e.g., word BLUE printed in red ink), causing significant response selection delay.

Automaticity Cost

The difficulty of inhibiting an automated response when environmental context suddenly demands an alternative controlled action.

Hick's Law

The principle stating that reaction time increases logarithmically as the number of stimulus-response choices in response selection increases.

Stimulus-Response Compatibility

The degree of natural or learned alignment between a stimulus and its corresponding required response, influencing response selection speed.

Cognitive Load

The total volume of mental demand placed on working memory during response selection decision-making processes.

Decision Latency

The exact time elapsed within the response selection stage to choose an appropriate movement response.

Response Selection Interference

The delay occurring when competing candidate responses conflict within working memory before one is chosen.

Practice-Induced Processing Shift

The transition of response selection operations from deliberate controlled processing to effortless automatic processing over repeated trials.

Volitional Response Selection

Intentional, conscious evaluation of tactical alternatives to choose an optimal movement action.

Non-conscious Choice Response

An immediate, automated response selection triggered directly by familiar environmental spatial cues without conscious deliberation.

Task Mapping

The established cognitive association between identified environmental stimuli and specific movement outcomes.