Cognitive Processes Exam 2 NCSU (PSY 420)

Selective Attention

Refers to the skill through which one focuses on one input or one task while ignoring other stimuli

Shadowing

repeating an audio track

Dichotic Listening

different messages to each ear

Attended Channel

listen to this one

Unattended channel

ignore this one

cocktail party effect

-ability to attend to only one voice among many

-Unattended channel can be noticed if you hear your own name or words of high personal significance

inattentional blindness

-failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

-there can be no perception without attention

Change Blindness

inability to detect changes in scenes

Spatial Attention

sometimes thought of as a "searchlight" = we can move this searchlight in space, as well as adjust the size of the "beam"

unilateral neglect

A syndrome in which people ignore objects located toward their left and the left sides of objects located anywhere; most often caused by damage to the right parietal lobe

Divided Attention

performing multiple tasks simultaneously

mode code attention resources

Mode: Visual - Auditory

Code: Spatial Verbal

Visual - Spatial task

driving on a curvy road

Visual - verbal task

glancing at text on a gps

Auditory - spatial task

listening for the positions of cars near you

Auditory - verbal task

listening to a science podcast

Attentional resources can be divided into:

-Spatial resources

-Verbal Resources

-Visual Resources

-Auditory Resources

Response Selector

"traffic cop"/ coordinates and times activities - both physical and mental

Central Executive

Coordinates the allocation of other resources - sets goals and priorities/chooses strategies

Executive control strongly connected to

Working memory

Anti-saccade task

moving towards a cue is easy but moving eyes away from a cue is hard

Goal Neglect

relying on habitual responses that are contrary to the goals of a particular task

Perservation

the tendency to produce the same response over and over when the task requires a change in response

Types of Attentional Systems

-System 1: Automatic

-System 2: Controlled

System 1: Automatic

Operates:

-Quickly

-With little or no effort

-no sense of voluntary control

System 2: Controlled

Operates:

-by allocation resources to effortful mental activities

-Often associated with feelings of: agency, choice, and concentration

One way to frame learning and memory

acquisition, storage, retrieval

2 reasons computer analogy is problematic

1. New learning is grounded in previously learned (stored) knowledge

2.Effective learning depends on how the information will be later retrieved

The Modal Model

the three-stage memory model that divides memory into 3 areas--sensory, short term, and long term

Short term memory (STM)

holds the information currently in use

Long-term memory

all of the information one can remember

The Modal Model information processing (pic)

Working memory

a dynamic form of short-term memory

Primacy effect

better memory for first few iteams

Memory rehearsal

allows transfer from WM to LTM

Recency Effect

Better memory for the last few items based on working memory

Reading span test

-A measure that captures the active nature of working memory

-The number of words remembered is the reading span

Operation Span test

-Another measure of working memory

-Is this equation true or false?

-Remember a word

Chunking

-Condense information

-Requires effort

-Reduces load

-Does not increase WM

Working memory metaphor

Loading dock - mechanically transfers input to and from long term memory

Better working memory metaphor

Librarian - actively categorizes, catalogs and cross references new material

Two types of rehearsal

1. Maintenance rehearsal

2. Relational or Elaborative Rehearsal

Maintenance Rehersal

Reciting

Relational or Elaborative rehearsal

linking

Repeated exposure

does not guarantee memory

Shallow processing

superficial

Deep processing

meaningful

Incidental learning

unintentional

Intentional learning

intentional

Retrieval Paths

-paths that guide one's thoughts toward the content to be remembered

-More elaborative encoding creates more retrieval paths

Mnemonics

improve memory through organization

Peg-word systems

items are "hung" on a system of already well known "pegs" (first-letter mnemonics)

Context-dependent learning

is dependent on the state one is in during acquisition