Psychology 118 Attention Study Guide

These flashcards cover key concepts and definitions in the study of attention in psychology, providing a comprehensive tool for exam preparation.

Cocktail Party Phenomenon

The ability to focus on a conversation while in a loud environment.

Selective Attention

The process whereby only a limited amount of information passes through our conscious awareness, similar to a bottleneck.

Dichotic Listening Task

An experiment where participants listen to different sounds in each ear and can repeat what they pay attention to but not what they ignore.

Endogenous Visual Attention Task

Attention is voluntarily directed by a cue indicating where attention will be focused.

Exogenous Visual Attention Task

Attention is involuntarily captured by a sudden stimulus, like a flash.

Top-Down Attention

Attention guided by prior knowledge or expectations; for example, searching for an object based on its color or shape.

Bottom-Up Attention

Attention guided by unexpected stimuli; for instance, focusing on a loud noise.

Inhibition of Return

A phenomenon where after attending to a location, one is less likely to return attention to that spot for a brief period.

Pop Out Phenomenon

The ability to quickly identify a target that stands out due to a distinct feature, such as color or shape.

Single-Feature Search vs Conjunction Search

Single-feature search focuses on one characteristic for fast reactions, while conjunction search requires identifying a target based on multiple features, leading to increased reaction times.

Feature Integration Theory (FIT)

A theory suggesting that different features of an object are processed separately and then combined to form a single perception.

Treisman and Schmidt (1982) Experiment

Participants were shown color shapes with black letters in between. They realized that participants reported “red x” instead of “red circle” and “blue X” when their attention was diverted

Superior Colliculus

Brain structure responsible for controlling eye movements and visual attention shifts.

Pulvinar Nucleus of the Thalamus

Filters visual information between cortical areas to help focus attention and ignore distractors.

Dorsal Frontoparietal System

Controls top-down attention, selecting targets based on intention.

Ventral Frontotemporal-Parietal System

Engages in bottom-up attention, directing focus towards new stimuli.

Zatorre et al. (1992) Experiment

Focused auditory attention activates specific areas of the brain related to speech and pitch processing. When attention is focused on lyrics it activates the left cortical speech centers. When attention is focused on pitch activates the right prefrontal areas

Schoenfeld et al. (2007) Experiment

Investigated visual attention by having participants respond to changes in movement vs color, using fMRI to measure brain activity

Middle Temporal Visual Area (V5)

The brain area activated during attention to movement, specialized for motion processing.

Maunsell's Findings on Attention

When attention is directed to a stimulus, the neuronal firing rate increases without changing the physical stimulus.

Hemispatial Neglect

A condition where damage to the right parietal lobe leads to an inability to perceive the left visual field.

Attention vs Intention Hypotheses

Debate on whether neurons in the posterior parietal cortex reflect where attention is directed or the movements intended towards targets.

Snyder et al. (1997) Study

Revealed that neurons in the posterior parietal cortex respond differently based on whether the intended movement is eye-related or arm-related.

Anatomical Segregation in PPC

Different regions of the posterior parietal cortex are responsible for preparing specific body parts for action, supporting movement intention.