Attention and Selective Attention

Attention

Definition

  • Attention refers to concentrating on one aspect of the sensory environment or sensorium.
  • The exact mechanisms of attention and how we shift it are still not fully understood.

Selective Attention

  • Selective attention is focusing on one part of the sensorium while ignoring other stimuli. It acts as a filter between sensory stimuli and our processing systems.
    • If a stimulus is attended to, it passes through a filter and is analyzed further.
    • If a stimulus is not attended to, it may be lost or processed in the background.
  • Original conceptualization:
    • Selective attention was viewed as an all-or-nothing process.
    • If we choose a particular stimulus to attend to, other stimuli are lost.
  • However, recent evidence indicates that this is not entirely the case.
Cocktail Party Phenomenon
  • Example: At a party, you're talking to a friend, but your ears perk up when you hear your name spoken across the room.
  • Explanation: Even though you were engaged in conversation and paying attention, you were able to perceive your name being mentioned.
  • Interpretation: Selective attention is more of a filter that allows us to focus on one thing while allowing other stimuli to be processed in the background.
    • Only if the other stimuli are particularly important (e.g., one's name being mentioned, a sudden flash of light, pain) do we shift our attention to them.
Dichotic Listening Tests
  • Purpose: Designed to test selective attention.
  • Procedure:
    • Participants are given headphones with distinct auditory stimuli going to each ear.
    • Participants are asked to pay attention to either or both stimuli.
    • Participants are then asked to repeat out loud what they heard in the attended ear, which is termed shadowing.
  • Function:
    • Tests selective attention by asking participants to filter out information from the unattended ear.
    • Alternatively, the task can test whether participants can subconsciously gain information from the unattended ear.

Divided Attention

  • Divided attention is the ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time.
  • Most new or complex tasks require undivided attention and utilize controlled, effortful processing.
  • Familiar or routine actions can be performed with automatic processing, which permits the brain to focus on other tasks with divided attention.
Example: Learning to Drive
  • Initially:
    • Drivers intensely grip the steering wheel and pay undivided attention to the road ahead.
  • As you become accustomed to driving:
    • You can regulate some aspects of driving, like knowing how hard to push on the pedal to automatic processing.
    • This lets a driver perform secondary tasks such as changing the radio station.
Limitations of Automatic Processing
  • Automatic processing is far from perfect.
  • It does not allow for innovation or rapid response to change.
  • This may contribute to the high incidence of car accidents that result from distracted driving.