Attention and Information Processing

These flashcards cover essential concepts related to attention and information processing as discussed in the lecture.

What is selective attention?

Selective attention is the ability to focus on one message while ignoring all others.

What phenomenon demonstrates the ability to focus on one message?

The dichotic listening procedure.

What is Broadbent's Filter Model?

Broadbent's Filter Model explains how the attended message is separated from incoming signals early in the analysis.

What modifies Broadbent's filter model?

Anne Treisman proposed an attenuation model which allows some unattended information to be processed based on meaning.

What is the cocktail party effect?

The cocktail party effect is the phenomenon where one can focus on a single conversation amidst many in a noisy environment.

What is the Stroop Effect?

The Stroop Effect highlights the difficulty in naming the color of the ink used for words when the words themselves are color names.

What does the term 'divided attention' refer to?

Divided attention refers to the distribution of attention among two or more tasks.

What is automatic processing?

Automatic processing is a type of processing that occurs without intention and with minimal cognitive resources.

What is the difference between central vision and peripheral vision?

Central vision focuses on detailed objects directly observed, while peripheral vision includes everything outside the center of focus.

What is mind wandering?

Mind wandering is the phenomenon where a person's thoughts drift away from the task at hand to unrelated topics.

What is inattentional blindness?

Inattentional blindness occurs when individuals fail to perceive visible stimuli when their focus is directed elsewhere.

What is change blindness?

Change blindness is the failure to notice changes in a visual scene when attention is not directed to the changed area.

What is the binding problem in perception?

The binding problem refers to how the brain combines various features of objects into a coherent perception.

What does feature integration theory propose?

Feature integration theory posits that object features are processed independently during a preattentive stage and then bound together during focused attention.

What role do attentional networks play?

Attentional networks are neural networks in the brain that manage the flow of attention and response to various stimuli.

How does attentional warping manifest in brain activity?

Attentional warping changes the responsiveness of particular brain regions to categories of objects that are being searched for.

What is the executive attention network responsible for?

The executive attention network controls higher-level processes, including dealing with conflicts and managing cognitive tasks.

In the context of attention, what are illusory conjunctions?

Illusory conjunctions occur when features from different stimuli are incorrectly combined due to a lack of attention.

How is attentional capacity measured in cognitive experiments?

Attentional capacity can be assessed through tasks evaluating performance under different load conditions.

What impact does cell phone use have on driving?

Using a cell phone while driving significantly decreases attention and increases the likelihood of accidents.