Module 8

What does attention do?

selects the relevant information from our sensory world for further processing

We use attention to -

direct our limited cognitive resources to relevant information in the environment

T/F: attention is a unitary concept

false

DEFINITION: Visual attention

The ability to selectively process incoming visual sensory information for enhanced processing, while filtering out irrelevant visual noise

what are the 3 main types of visual attention?

-space-based attention
-Feature-based attention
-Object-based attention

Attention to particular locations - is what type of visual attention?

space-based attention

Posner (1980) - Space-based attention acts like a ____________

spotlight

When we direct cognitive resources to individual features of a visual scene, such as colour and texture - this uses what kind of visual attention?

Feature-based attention

When we attend to an object, all the parts of the object are selected for processing - this uses what kind of visual attention?

Object-based attention

in relation to space-based attention; what is overt attention?

focused attention with eye movements

in relation to space-based attention, what is covert attention?

focused attention without eye movements

When we modulate the attention spotlight; shifting attentional resources across our visual field is -

orientation attention

When we modulate the attention spotlight; changing the spatial region over which attentional resources are focused refers to -

attention breadth

When we modulate the attention spotlight; the act of shaping attention as a doughnut is called -

annulus attention

When we modulate the attention spotlight; attending to two or more spatially separate locations simultaneously is called -

splitting attention

The 'type' of spotlight attention deployed depends on what?

endogenous attention and exogenous attention

DEFINITION: Endogenous attention

Voluntary/top-down processing which directs attention to relevant visual stimuli based on a persons current goals

DEFINITION: Exogenous attention

involuntary/bottom-up processing. Externally driven by properties in the visual environment.

There are 3 types of visual attention; space-based attention, feature-based attention, and ______________ attention

object-based

space-based attention acts like a ____________ shining on relevant locations in the visual field

spotlight

____________ attention is akin to voluntary attention

endogenous

____________ attention is akin to involuntary attention

exogenous

_____________ attention deployments are those with eye movements

overt

______________ attention deployments are those without eye movements

covert

attention breadth refers to attention being ___________ or broad

narrow

High perceptual load results in ___________ attention

narrow

High cognitive load results in _______________ attention

broad

What task factors are involved in visual attention?

-perceptual load
-cognitive load

what individual factors differentiate applications of visual attention?

-age
-clinical conditions
-personality

perceptual load =

complexity of visual information to be processed in a scene

cognitive load =

mental effort or working memory

a high cognitive load results in -

board attention

a lower cognitive load results in -

narrow attention

T/F: The causes of developmental dyslexia are well agreed upon by various researchers in cogpsych and neuropsych fields

false

T/F: One of the most relevant neurocognitive functions used for reading is the 'spotlight of attention, where, to help us read, we might serially scan our attention spotlight over the letters of a word for recognition

True

T/F: When we learn to read, it is possible that we are learning to serially orient our attention from left to right across the page, as well as distribute the spotlight of attention narrowly enough to focus on letters and words

true

T/F: The posterior parietal cortex of the ventral system might be particularly important for guiding the spotlight of attention during reading

false

T/F: Deficits in dyslexia could be the result of lesions at the site where attentional modulation occurs. This has been empirically demonstrated in research

False

T/F: Visual search is typically impaired in dyslexic children

true

T/F: Dyslexia is posed as a visual processing deficit in the proper recognition of the sequence of letters by an attentional mechanism

true

T/F: Perhaps, phonological deficits depend in part on impaired visual attention functioning

true

Measuring distractor processing and therefore the spread of attention or attention breadth in the visual field -

Flanker task

The flanker task -

measures reaction time for compatible vs incompatible trials to see how attention spotlights are deployed

The flanker task: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ; is an example of what kind of trial?

compatible

The flanker task: >>>>>><>>>>>> ; is an example of what kind of trial?

incompatible

-six rings are shown on the computer screen during each trial
-participants decide if either a diamond or square was shown on each trial inside one of the rings
-participants were asked to ignore any distractor images -

Green and Bavelier (2003) flanker task

what were the independent variables used in Green and Bavelier (2003)?

-gamers vs non-gamers
-perceptual load

what were the dependant variable for Green and Bavelier (2003)

Response times

Green and Bavelier (2003): low perceptual load > compatibility effect is large -

Attentional resources are free to process distractors = broader attention breadth

Green and Bavelier (2003): high perceptual load > compatibility effect small -

less residual attentional resources for processing irrelevant distractors = narrow attention breadth

Green and Bavelier (2003) why was the flanker task administered?

to compare video game players and non-video game players in flanker task performance across low and high perceptual load trials

Green and Bavelier (2003): What was the hypothesis for the flanker task?

If video gaming enhances attention, gamers will show larger distractor effects compared to non-video gamers across both low and high perceptual load tasks

Green and Bavelier (2003): flanker task conclusion -

playing video games is associated with a broader scope of attention in the flanker task

Green and Bavelier (2003): what were the five tasks used for this experiment?

-research q's and general method
-flanker task
-enumeration task
-functional field of view task
-attentional blink

Enumeration task measures -

how much visual information we can process in a single moment

-between 1-12 squares are presented on the screen for 50ms
-participants' task is to indicate the number of squares shown in each trial
what is this task?

Enumeration task

subitizing range =

number of items apprehended at the same time without error

_____________ predicts how many items can be attended to at once. Most adults attend to ____________ items

subitizing range; 3-4

Green and Bavelier (2003): What was the hypothesis for the enumeration task?

gamers should have a larger subitizing range and be more accurate at counting than non-gamers

Green and Bavelier (2003): enumeration task results - Avg number of items subitized for gamers =

4.9 items

Green and Bavelier (2003): enumeration task results - Avg number of items subitized for non-gamers =

3.3 items

Green and Bavelier (2003): enumeration task conclusion -

gamers adopt a boarder scope of attention

What are the limitations to the flanker and enumeration tasks?

Tasks only measure attention over a small visual field

-participants are briefly shown a display of 24 boxes that subtend 10-30 degrees of visual angle from the centre of the visual field
-one box contains a target shape
-where is the target located
WHAT TEST IS THIS?

functional field of view test

How is the function field of view task measured?

By measuring accuracy depends on how far away the target was from the centre

Green and Bavelier (2003): functional field of view results -

-gamers have significantly higher task accuracy than non-gamers = broader scope of attention

The attention blink task measures -

spatial aspects of visual attention

Bavelier et al (2012) Method: gamers and non-gamers completed ________ vs __________ perceptual load visual search tasks in the presence/absence of a ___________ visual motion display

low; high; distracting

______________ manipulation intended to vary the level of top-down attention control exerted via ____________ ___________ networks in the brain.

perceptual load; dorsal frontoparietal

higher perceptual load =

more frontoparietal activation

Random dots kinematogram (RDK) is processed by -

neural area V5/MT

If RDK is in the _________ of attention, activation in ___________ will be increased, compared to RDK outside of the attention focus

focus; V5/MT

Bavelier et al (2012) FMRI results for non-gamers. -

increased frontoparietal network activation with increased perceptual load

Bavelier et al (2012) FMRI results for gamers -

only some increase in activation in some regions with increased perceptual load

Bavelier et al (2012) conclusion: gamers are more efficient than non-gamers in opperation of -

-frontoparietal attention networks
-visual processing
-filtering out irrelevant movement information

Vidyasager & Pammer (2010) - Attentional dysfunction has been associated with ____________ in some individuals

developmental dyslexia

Reading might require efficiently orienting and focusing attention on relevant letter and words for -

correct grapheme to phoneme conversion

Vidyasager & Pammer (2010) research question -

could training dyslexic children on visual attention abilities using action video games improve reading outcomes

Vidyasager & Pammer (2010) - what the attention measures tested?

-focused attention task
-distributed attention task
-cross-modal attention task

-Keep eyes on a fixation point
-see a red dot
-see a string of letters like symbols followed by a mask
-indicate the symbol that was in the same location as the red dot
WHAT TEST IS THIS?

focused attention task

-Keep eyes on a fixation point
-see a string of letters like symbols
-see a red dot followed by a mask
-indicate the symbol that was in the same location as the red dot
WHAT TEST IS THIS?

distributed attention task

the distributed attention task requires -

broad attention

-participants hear a cue coming from the left, right or both sides of the screen
-target picture appears in one of the two circles on the screen
-participant to press a button when the target appears
-compare response times for times when target appeared on the same side as the noise vs the different side of the noise
WHAT IS THIS TEST?

cross-modal attention task

cross-modal attention task measures -

attention orienting in response to sound

Franceshini et al (2013) results -

children playing action video games showed significant improvements in accuracy in both the focused and distributed attention tests compared to children playing non-action video games

T/F: Franceshini et al (2013) results - the action video gamers showed a significant improvement for pre vs post tests

true

Action video gaming training can improve reading via ________ and ___________ routes

lexical; non-lexical

Franceshini et al (2013) results suggest that attention and _________ _____________ are related

orthographic processing

In Franceshini (2013) children played the Raving Rabbids video game. and attention/reading was measured. What was found?

video games improved attention and reading

T/F: gamers have a smaller attention blink compared to non-gamers

true

In a study covered in the ASAP science video, it was shown that playing super mario 64 -

changed brain areas for strategic planning, memory and fine motor skills

Which area of the brain is most likely to be implicated in attention processing in those with developmental dyslexia?

the posterior parietal cortex

Bec is trying to get her cat's attention, so she shines a laser pointer in the cat's peripheral vision. This is-

exogenous attention

Which games are most likely to improve reading ability?

action video games

When completing a difficult maths equation, attention should -

broaden

Phil is attending to the colour red when completing a wheres wally task, what sort of attention is he using?

feature-based attention

who famously said 'we all know what attention is'

William James

The _____________ theory of dyslexia says that we serially scan our cognitive resources over the letters of a word when reading

attention spotlight

5 people who play action games and five people who don't complete an enumeration task. What finding is likely?

differences in counting and subitizing between the two groups

Which task is best for measuring a large visual field?

functional field of view