lecture psy- 301 (attention)

Introduction to Attention

• Attention as a concept that is explored in the context of our daily distractions, particularly those from technology (e.g., smartphones).

• The ability to focus our mental resources on specific stimuli, while filtering out other irrelevant stimuli.

Understanding Attention Through Example

• Participants are invited to think about specific body parts (e.g., the back of the left knee and the right big toe).

• Demonstrates that attention can be directed at will; people can easily shift their focus to parts of the body they weren't consciously thinking about.

• Highlights the brain's ability to monitor stimuli at a low level while reserving conscious attention for more relevant information.

Cognitive Load and Information Overload

• Human brains face challenges due to overwhelming amounts of information available at any moment.

• The "spotlight" analogy illustrates how attention works; it can only illuminate a limited amount of information at once.

• Importance of filtering out unnecessary details to maintain focus on what matters for engagement and survival.

Engaging with Attention through Experimentation

• Introduction to an experiment where viewers are asked to watch a video and count specific actions (e.g., basketball players in white passing the ball).

• Survey following the video is used to assess what participants noticed while engaged in counting.

The Gorilla Experiment

• Some participants unexpectedly noticed a gorilla in the video despite being focused on counting.

• Discussion around how attention works reveals that when focused, viewers may miss unconventional stimuli.

• Statistics show that 41% of viewers did not notice the gorilla at all, emphasizing how attention can selectively filter information.

• Even viewers who had seen the video before still missed key details, demonstrating the fallibility of attention.

Evolutionary Perspective on Attention

• The attentional system is designed for efficiency, focusing on relevant information to avoid potential threats.

• Context matters: unusual stimuli, like a gorilla on a basketball court, may be overlooked since they are outside of typical expectations.

• The evolutionary benefits of focusing on complex, novel, and motion-driven stimuli for survival.

Attention Grabbing in Children's Toys

• Example of a child's toy compared to more traditional toys highlights commercial attention-grabbing tactics.

• Explanation of how bright colors, sounds, and motions in toys capture children's attention more effectively than simpler or stationary toys.

• Children are naturally drawn to new and dynamic experiences, which are more likely to represent threats or opportunities in their environments.

Personal Relevance and the Cocktail Party Effect

• The "cocktail party effect" is introduced, where a person can hear their name amidst a noisy environment and focus on it.

• Attention can shift effortlessly based on personal relevance without physical adjustments, showcasing a mental filter mechanism.

• The dichotic listening test is discussed as a method to study this effect in a lab setting, allowing analysis of how individuals manage competing auditory streams.

Dichotic Listening Test Demonstration

• A demonstration of the dichotic listening task highlights the difficulty of attending to one auditory stream while ignoring another.

• Engaging participants in shadowing illustrates the cognitive load and limits of attention; success depends on focus but at the cost of distracted relevant information.

• The importance of understanding how attention works aids in enhancing focus and recognizing overlooked details in various situations.