Lecture on Attention and Cognitive Processes

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to attention and cognitive processes discussed in the lecture.

Divided Attention

Attention that is split between two tasks, leading to task switching rather than simultaneous performance.

Joint Attention

The focusing of attention on an object by two separate individuals.

Directed Attention

Sustained focus on a single task or orientation.

Selective Attention

The ability to maintain attention while presented with distracting or interfering stimuli.

Exogenous Cues

External stimuli that capture our attention automatically, like bright colors or loud noises.

Endogenous Cues

Internal stimuli that require knowledge to understand and follow, like an arrow guiding attention.

In-attentional Blindness

Failure to notice an unexpected object in plain sight when attention is focused elsewhere.

Change Blindness

Failure to notice changes in a visual scene between two different views.

Attentional Capture

When attention is attracted by the motion of an object or stimulus.

Vigilance Attention

Processes aimed at detecting a target of interest, requiring quick responses.

Executive Attention

Attention involved in goal-directed behavior and monitoring conflicts.

Cocktail Party Effect

The ability to focus on one conversation in a noisy environment.

Shadowing Task

An experimental technique to study selective attention where one sound is repeated while ignoring another.

Broadbent’s Early Selection Theory

Theory that proposes filtering of information occurs before perceptual processes.

Deutsch & Deutsch’s Late Selection Theory

Theory that information is fully processed before selective filtering occurs.

Treisman’s Attenuation Theory

Theory suggesting that unattended information is weakened but not completely filtered out.

Spotlight Model of Attention

A model describing how we focus our attention on specific stimuli while ignoring others.

Multitasking

The ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, which is often ineffective due to limited attentional resources.