Attention 1

• What are the basic characteristics of attention?

  Attention is goal-directed, varies in effort, can be shifted, is selective, is limited, can be captured, and can be divided.
• What does it mean that attention is goal-directed?

  It means attention is deployed to achieve a specific objective.
• How does the effort required for attention vary?

  Deploying attention can be very easy or can require significant effort, such as during visual search.
• What does the spotlight metaphor refer to in attention?

  The spotlight metaphor refers to the ability to shift attention to different areas of focus.
• What does the zoom lens metaphor illustrate about attention?

  The zoom lens metaphor illustrates that attention can be moved and focused on specific details.
• How is attention described as selective?

  Attention is described as a filter that allows focusing on one stimulus while ignoring others.
• Why is attention considered limited?

  Attention is considered limited because it functions as a resource that can be depleted.
• How can attention be captured?

  Attention can be captured to a degree, meaning it can be controlled but not entirely.
• What does it mean that attention can be divided?

  It means attention can be split across different modalities or tasks.
• When did modern attention research begin?

  Modern attention research began in the 1950s and 60s.
• What does the term "cognitive revolution" refer to?

  The cognitive revolution refers to a paradigm shift from behaviorism to cognitivism in psychology.
• Who is considered one of the founding fathers of modern attention research?

  Donald Broadbent is considered one of the founding fathers of modern attention research.
• What was Broadbent's main question regarding air traffic control?

  Broadbent wanted to know if we can understand two simultaneous messages.
• What stimuli did Broadbent use in his 1952 study?

  Broadbent used a grid with 5 locations and different symbols in some locations.
• What was the result of Broadbent's study regarding question accuracy?

  Only about 50% of the questions were answered correctly, indicating the task was difficult.
• What is the cocktail-party problem as described by Cherry in 1953?

  The cocktail-party problem refers to how we recognize one person's voice when others are speaking simultaneously.
• What was the instruction given to participants in Cherry's study?

  Participants were instructed to repeat one message and ignore the other, a process known as shadowing.
• What did Cherry's results indicate about dichotic listening?

  Cherry's results showed that it is much easier to attend to one ear when messages are spatially separated.
• What was found regarding the irrelevant message in Cherry's study?

  No words or semantic content from the irrelevant message were reported by participants.
• What do the results of Cherry's study suggest about attending to messages?

  The results suggest that it is very hard to attend to two messages that aren't separable by physical cues.
• What is Broadbent's filter theory?

  Broadbent's filter theory describes how information is processed from perception to processing through a selective filter.

  
• What role does the selective filter play in Broadbent's model?

  The selective filter identifies information for further processing based on physical stimulus properties.

  
• How does the limited capacity channel function in Broadbent's model?

  The limited capacity channel is a serial processor that can only process one thing at a time.
• What happens to unattended information in Broadbent's model?

  Unattended information does not pass through the filter and is not processed further.
• What is the own-name effect as evidence against early selection?

  The own-name effect refers to participants noticing their own name presented to the irrelevant ear, suggesting some processing occurs.
• What did Treisman's study on message switching reveal?

  Treisman's study revealed that participants reported information from the irrelevant ear when the message switched ears.
• What was the purpose of conditioning with electric shocks in the studies?

  The purpose was to show that words paired with electric shocks affected skin conductance responses.
• What are the alternatives to early selection theory?

  Alternatives include attenuation theory and late selection theory.
• What does attenuation theory propose?

  Attenuation theory proposes that the filter is not fully selective and some information is processed even if unattended.
• What does late selection theory suggest about information processing?

  Late selection theory suggests that meaning is analyzed before input is filtered.
• What evidence challenges the assumptions of late selection models?

  There is strong evidence that the central assumptions of late selection models are incorrect when taken together.