Cognitive Psychology- Exam 2

PT.1

What is the dichotic listening task? 

A cognitive task where different auditory messages are presented to each ear simultaneously, and participants are asked to attend to one message and ignore the other. 

How is the dichotic listening task used to study attention? 

It measures selective attention by assessing what information is processed from the attended vs. unattended channel. 

What is the typical procedure of a dichotic listening task?

Two different audio streams (one per ear) are played through headphones; participants “shadow” (repeat aloud) the attended message while ignoring the other.

What did Cherry (1953) find in his dichotic listening experiments?

Participants could notice physical changes (voice, gender, pitch) in the unattended ear but not content changes (language, meaning). 

What did Moray (1959) discover about selective attention? 

Even when ignoring a channel, participants sometimes noticed their own name—suggesting some semantic processing of unattended information. 

What is Broadbent’s Filter Model of attention? 

: An early selection model proposing that attention filters information based on physical characteristics before meaning is processed.

What is Treisman’s Attenuation Model? 

A modified filter model proposing that unattended information isn’t completely blocked—it’s attenuated (weakened), allowing some meaning (e.g., one’s name) to get through. 

Who is Thich Nhat Hanh? 

A Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk and teacher who popularized mindfulness and engaged Buddhism in the West. 

Who is Jon Kabat-Zinn

Founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR); introduced mindfulness to Western medicine and psychology. 

Who is Marsha Linehan? 

Psychologist who developed Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), integrating mindfulness into treatment for emotion dysregulation and borderline personality disorder. 

 

What is mindfulness? 

A mental state achieved by focusing awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. 

What are the 4 dimensions of mindfulness

1. Observation – noticing sensations, perceptions, thoughts 

2. Description – labeling experiences with words 

3. Acting with awareness – attending to the present rather than autopilot 

4. Non-judgmental acceptance – accepting experiences without evaluation 

What are some mindfulness practices?

Breathing meditation, body scan, mindful eating, walking meditation, and yoga. 

What is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)? 

A therapy combining cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness to prevent relapse in depression. 

What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)? 

A therapy integrating mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, designed for borderline personality disorder and emotional dysregulation. 

What did Jha et al. (2007) study?

They examined how mindfulness training affects attention in military and civilian participants. 

What were the results of Jha et al. (2007)? 

Mindfulness training improved sustained attention and working memory, especially in participants with more mindfulness practice. 

What was the conclusion of Jha et al. (2007)? 

: Mindfulness enhances attentional control and may protect against stress-related declines in attention.