PSYC2050 LECTURE 7

These flashcards encompass key concepts and findings from Lecture 7 on attentional control and working memory, including visual search, attentional blink, automaticity, Baddeley's model, and more.

What are the two types of visual search?

Feature search (pop-out) and conjunction search.

What does Feature Integration Theory (FIT) describe?

Automatic processing of stimulus into elementary features and the need for attention to bind features into an object.

What is the attentional blink?

The phenomenon where there is a decrement in reporting the second target (T2) when it occurs shortly after the first target (T1) in rapid serial visual presentation.

What are the characteristics of automatic processes according to Shiffrin & Schneider?

Fast, rigid, performed without awareness, and require little to no resources.

What is the role of the central executive in Baddeley's working memory model?

Coordinates the activity of subordinate systems that store information, controls encoding and retrieval strategies, switches attention, and manipulates material.

What is the difference between slot and resource models of visual short-term memory?

Slot models imply a fixed number of object representations can be held at once, while resource models suggest a limited supply of representational medium is distributed across objects.

What are the key findings in task switching?

Cost arises from task preparation versus disengaging from a prior task, and switching between tasks incurs a time and potential error cost.

What evidence supports the phonological similarity effect?

Confusions occur in immediate serial recall for letters with similar sounding names due to reliance on phonological representations.

What is the word length effect?

Immediate memory span declines with the spoken duration of list items, reflecting the speed of subvocal rehearsal.

What are exogenous effects in task switching?

Residual costs that occur due to interference from prior tasks and require decision-making based on current stimuli.