Ch 4

what is the process by which features are combined to create perception of a coherent objects

binding

change detection

detecting differences between pictures or displays that are presented one after another

Selective attention, the ability to focus on one message while ignoring all others, has ben demonstrated using the ________

dichotic listening procedure

change blindness

difficulty in detecting changes in similar, but slightly different, scenes that are presented one right after another. the changes are often easy to see once attention is directed to them but are usually undetected in the absence of appropriate attention

who's experiment demonstrates that responding is faster for cued locations on an object and that this effect spreads throughout an object (same-object advantage)

eagly's

saccadic eye movement

eye movements from one fixation point to another

illusory conjunction, visual search, and neuropsychology experiments support

feature integration theory

what dies treisman's model propose?

later separation and adds a dictionary unit to explain how the unattended message can sometimes get through

divided attention is difficult for what kind of tasks

low-load and automatic

saliency map

map of a scene that indicates the stimulus salience of areas and objects in the scene

what helps achieve effective connectivity between different areas in a network

mechanism of synchronization

feature search

searching among distractors for a target item that involves detecting one feature, such as "horizontal"

conjunction search

searching among distractors for a target that involves two or more features, such as "horizontal" and "green"

binding problem

the problem of explaining how an object's individual features become bound together

binding

the process by which features such as color, form, motion, and location are combined to create our perception of a coherent object

True or False- hands-free and voice activated devices are just as distracting as handheld devices

true

illusory conjunctions

A situation, demonstrated in experiments by Anne Treisman, in which features from different objects are inappropriately combined.

same-object advantage

Occurs when the enhancing effect of attention spreads throughout an object, so that attention to one place on an object results in a facilitation of processing at other places on the object.

preattentive stage

The first stage of Treisman's feature integration theory, in which an object is analyzed into its features.

dichotic listening

The procedure of presenting one message to the left ear and a different message to the right ear.

executive action network

a complex network that is involved in controlling executive functions

what is demonstrated by precueing experiments, which have been shown that ____ to a location enhances processing at that location

covert attention- shifting attention without eye movement

effective connectivity

how easily activity can travel along a particular pathway between two structures

what does late selection model propose

selection doesn't occur until messages are processed enough to determine their meaning

what does broadbent's early selection theory state?

that the attended message is separated from the incoming signal early in the analysis of the signal

the ventral attention network controls attention based on?

salience

dictionary unit

A component of Treisman's attenuation model of attention. This processing unit contains stored words and thresholds for activating the words. The dictionary unit helps explain why we can sometimes hear a familiar word, such as our name, in an unattended message.

ventral attention network

A network that controls attention based on stimulus salience.

inattentional deafness

Occurs when inattention causes a person to miss an auditory stimulus. For example, experiments have shown that it is more difficult to detect a tone when engaged in a difficult visual search task.

attentional warping

Occurs when the map of categories on the brain changes to make more space for categories that are being searched for as a person attends to a scene.

perceptual load

Related to the difficulty of a task. Low-load tasks use only a small amount of a person's processing capacity. High-load tasks use more of the processing capacity.

shadowing

The procedure of repeating a message out loud as it is heard. Shadowing is commonly used in conjunction with studies of selective attention that use the dichotic listening procedure.

mind wandering

Thoughts that come from within a person, often unintentionally. In early research this was called daydreaming.

Balint's syndrome

A condition caused by brain damage in which a person has difficulty focusing attention on individual objects.

inhibitory control

A mechanism involved in dealing with conflicting stimuli. Related to executive function, cognitive control and willpower.

willpower

A mechanism involved in dealing with conflicting stimuli. Related to executive function, inhibitory control, and cognitive control.

cognitive control

A mechanism involved in dealing with conflicting stimuli. Related to executive function, inhibitory control, and willpower.

late selection model of attention

A model of selective attention that proposes that selection of stimuli for final processing does not occur until after the information in the message has been analyzed for meaning.

dorsal attention network

A network that controls attention based on top-down processing.

executive functions

A number of processes that involve controlling attention and dealing with conflicting responses.

scene schemas

A person's knowledge about what is likely to be contained in a particular scene. This knowledge can help guide attention to different areas of the scene.

precueing

A procedure in which participants are given a cue that will usually help them carry out a subsequent task. This procedure has been used in visual attention experiments in which participants are presented with a cue that tells them where to direct their attention.

experience sampling

A procedure that was developed to answer the question, "what percentage of the time during the day are people engaged in a specific behavior?" One way this has been achieved is by having people report what they are doing when they receive signals at random times during the day.

low-load task

A task that uses few resources, leaving some capacity to handle other tasks.

high-load task

A task that uses most or all of a person's resources and so leaves little capacity to handle other tasks.

feature integration theory

An approach to object perception, developed by Anne Treisman, that proposes a sequence of stages in which features are first analyzed and then combined to result in perception of an object.

stroop effect

An effect originally studied by J. R. Stroop, using a task in which a person is instructed to respond to one aspect of a stimulus, such as the color of ink that a word is printed in, and ignore another aspect, such as what the word spells. The Stroop effect refers to the fact that people find this task difficult when the ink color differs from what the word spells.

attenuation model of attention

Anne Treisman's model of selective attention that proposes that selection occurs in two stages. In the first stage, an attenuator analyzes the incoming message and lets through the attended message—and also the unattended message, but at a lower (attenuated) strength.

stimulus salience

Bottom-up factors that determine attention to elements of a scene. Examples are color, contrast, and orientation. The meaningfulness of the images, which is a top-down factor, does not contribute to stimulus salience.

What models are used to explain the process of selective attention?

Broadbent's filter model, Treisman's model, Late selection models

True or False- the distraction caused by cell phones and the internet has been linked to higher grades, and in extreme cases to positive effects in many areas of a person's life

False

detector

In Broadbent's model of attention, the detector processes the information from the attended message to determine higher-level characteristics of the message, such as its meaning.

attenuator

In Treisman's model of selective attention, the attenuator analyzes the incoming message in terms of physical characteristics, language, and meaning. Attended messages pass through the attenuator at full strength, and unattended messages pass though with reduced strength.

fixation

In perception and attention, a pausing of the eyes on places of interest while observing a scene.

who proposes that our ability to ignore distracting stimuli can be explained by considering processing capacity and perceptual load

Lavie- distraction is less likely for high-load tasks because no capacity remains to process potential distracting stimuli

early selection model

Model of attention that explains selective attention by early filtering out of the unattended message. In Broadbent's early selection model, the filtering step occurs before the message is analyzed to determine its meaning.

synchronizations

Occurs when neural responses become synchronized in time, so positive and negative responses occur at the same time and with similar amplitudes. It has been proposed that synchronization is a mechanism responsible for enhanced effective connectivity and enhanced communication between two areas that accompany shifts of attention.

automatic processing

Processing that occurs automatically, without the person's intending to do it, and that also uses few cognitive resources. Automatic processing is associated with easy or well-practiced tasks.

load theory of attention

Proposal that the ability to ignore task-irrelevant stimuli depends on the load of the task the person is carrying out. High-load tasks result in less distraction.

processing capacity

The amount of information input that a person can handle. This sets a limit on the person's ability to process information.

focused attention stage

The second stage of Treisman's feature integration theory. According to the theory, attention causes the combination of features into perception of an object.

executive attention network

a network that is extremely complex with multiple systems and controls the executive function

attentional capture

a rapid shifting of attention usually caused by a stimulus such as a loud noise, bright light, or sudden movement

operant conditioning

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher b.f skinner

cocktail party effect

ability to attend to only one voice among many

the executive attention network controls

attention that involves dealing with conflicting responses

attention to objects is called

attentional warping

what is the inability to detect changes in a scene

change blindness

continuity error

film error where one aspect of the scene changes from one shot to the next

Attention

focusing on specific features, objects, or locations or on certain thoughts or activities

what does the stroop effect demonstrate

how a powerful task-irrelevant stimulus such as meaningful words competes with the observer's task can capture attention

filter

in broadbent's model of attention, the filter identifies the message that is being attended to based on its physical characteristics- things like the speaker's tone of voice, pitch, speed of talking, and accent- and lets only this attended message pass through to the detector in the next stage

what experiments prove that without attention we may fail to perceive things that are clearly visible in the filed of view

inattentional blindness

what can occur when attention to a high-load visual search task impairs the ability to detect sounds

inattentional deafness

covert attention to a location causes a _______ in activity at the place on thae brain that corresponds to that location

increase

what is very prevalent and has been associated with disruption of ongoing tasks that require focused attention

mind-wandering

filter model of attention

model of attention that proposes a filter that lets attended stimuli through and blocks some or all of the unattended stimuli

experiments that attended objects are perceived to have been shown to be more or less contrasted than non attended object

more

visual scanning

movements of the eyes from one location or object to another

inattentional blindness

not noticing something even though it is in clear view, usually caused by failure to pay attention to the object or the place where the object is located

visual search

occurs when a person is looking for one stimulus or object among a number of other stimuli or objects

covert attention

occurs when attention is shifted without moving the eyes, commonly referred to as seeing something "out of the corner of one's eye"

distraction

occurs when one stimulus interferes with attention to or the processing of another stimulus

what is determined by bottom-up processes such as stimulus salience and by top-down processes such as scene schemas and task demands which influence how eye movements are directed to parts of a scene

overt attention

overt attention

shifting of attention by moving the eyes

what is our perception system adapted to

survival

selective attention

the ability to concentrate on some stimuli while ignoring others

divided attention

the ability to pay attention to, or carry out, or more different tasks simultaneously

the dorsal attention network controls attention based on

top-down processing