U2 Psychology

Attention

Actively focusing on particular information whilst simultaneously ignoring other information.

Sustained Attention

Focusing on one stimulus or task across a prolonged, continuous period of time

Divided Attention

Splitting attention across two or more stimuli at one time

Selective Attention

Exclusively focusing attention on a specific stimulus whilst ignoring others.

Distraction

Internal or external stimulus that draws an indivuals ’s attention.

The Uncertainty Principle

Where our attention is captured the most by unpredictable or unfamiliar stimuli. This is due to the stimulus potential to provide useful information or news about unpleasant of dangerous consequences.

The Predictive Principle

Where we focus on stimuli that are personally meaningful and important to us amongst other less meaningful stimuli.

Bottom-up processing:

Perception is determined by incoming sensory information moving from specific stimulus information to general knowledge.

Top-down processing:

Perception is driven by prior knowledge and expectations, moving from general knowledge to specific stimulus information.

Sensation:

The process of receiving and detecting raw sensory stimuli via sensory receptors and transferring this information to the brain.

Perception:

The processing of selecting, organising, and interpreting sensory information.

Stages of sensation:

Reception: Receive

Transduction: covert

Transmission: Relay

Stages of perception:

Selection: Attending to certain stimuli whilst excluding others

Organisation: Regrouping selected features of stimuli to form understanding

Interpretation: Understanding and assign meaning to sensory information