PS251 - Comparing Selective Attention Models

Selective attention

• Selective attention is the process by which individuals focus on one source of information while ignoring others.

• In everyday life, this allows us to concentrate on a single conversation in a noisy environment: a phenomenon known as the cocktail party effect (Cherry, 1953).

Broadbent’s Filter Model (1958)

• One of the earliest cognitive explanations of attention, often referred to as an early-selection model. Based on dichotic listening experiments, Broadbent proposed that information from the environment enters a sensory buffer, but only one message can pass through a selective filter at any given time for further processing.

• Filter selects information based on its physical characteristics rather than meaning. Unattended information completely blocked and therefore not processed for meaning.

• Provided a mechanistic explanation of attention and was supported by dichotic tasks

Why was Broadbent’s theory criticised?

• Too rigid

• Cocktail party effect directly contradicted it by showing personal relevant stimuli in unattended ear could be processed

Treisman’s Attenuation Model (1964)

• Argues that the filter does not completely block unattended information, instead it weakens it.

• All incoming stimuli are processed to some degree; however, only the attended message receives full processing, while unattended inputs are diminished but still capable of breaking through if they are salient or meaningful (hearing name)

• This concept explained findings that Broadbent’s theory could not, such as why participants sometimes switch attention to the other ear when meaningful content is presented there.

Main comparisons

• Both view attention as limited-capacity systems that must prioritise info

• Broadbent suggests complete block of unattended info while Treisman allows for partial processing