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4. Selective Attention
Created @August 21, 2025 1:51 AM
Class PS2021
Definitions of Attention
Focused attention: A situation in which individuals try to attend to only one
source of information while ignoring other stimuli; also known as selective
attention
Divided attention: A situation in which two tasks are performed at the same
time; also known as multi-tasking
Auditory Research
Cherry (1953) Cocktail Party Problem: The difficulties involved in attending to
one voice when two or more people are speaking at the same time.
McDermott (2009) identified two problems why this happens:
Sound segregation: The listener must decide which sounds belong
together with several sound sources present together then direct attention
to the sound source of interest and ignore the others
Point Method Results Conclusion
Cherry (1953) Dichotic listening When physical The conclusion that
Main Aim: When task differences were unattended
listeners attend to A different auditory removed by information
one auditory input, message is presenting two receives minimal
how much presented to each messages in the processing was
processing is there ear, and attention same voice to both supported by
of the unattended has to be directed to ears Moray (1959), who
input? one simultaneously, found listeners
message listeners struggled remembered very
to distinguish the few unattended
4. Selective Attention 1
, Participants then messages based words presented
engaged in on meaning 35 times each.
Shadowing:
Repeating one Found very little
auditory information
message verbally seemed to be
as it is presented extracted from the
while a unattended
second auditory message
message
is also presented but Physical changes
ignored were nearly always
detected
Listeners solved the
cocktail party
problem by using
differences between
the auditory inputs
in physical features
(e.g., sex of speaker;
voice intensity;
speaker location)
Barker et al (2020) Participants The superior Supports the
engaged in a temporal gyrus, cocktail party
Cherry’s findings dichotic listening associated with problem
are also task where they auditory
ecologically valid in were presented with processing, Aligns with Cherry’s
everyday life multiple speech showed increased (1953) conclusions
auditory streams activation when about how physical
processing, simultaneously, participants characteristics,
confronted by including two focused on the such as voice pitch
several different different talkers target speech and gender, can
speech speaking different stream rather than help listeners
streams messages but unattended navigate complex
instructed to attend streams auditory
to one speech environments and
stream Findings indicated prioritise specific
that the distinct messages based on
Brain activity was physical these features.
recorded using fMRI characteristics of
the voices, such as
pitch and timbre,
facilitated the
4. Selective Attention 2
4. Selective Attention
Created @August 21, 2025 1:51 AM
Class PS2021
Definitions of Attention
Focused attention: A situation in which individuals try to attend to only one
source of information while ignoring other stimuli; also known as selective
attention
Divided attention: A situation in which two tasks are performed at the same
time; also known as multi-tasking
Auditory Research
Cherry (1953) Cocktail Party Problem: The difficulties involved in attending to
one voice when two or more people are speaking at the same time.
McDermott (2009) identified two problems why this happens:
Sound segregation: The listener must decide which sounds belong
together with several sound sources present together then direct attention
to the sound source of interest and ignore the others
Point Method Results Conclusion
Cherry (1953) Dichotic listening When physical The conclusion that
Main Aim: When task differences were unattended
listeners attend to A different auditory removed by information
one auditory input, message is presenting two receives minimal
how much presented to each messages in the processing was
processing is there ear, and attention same voice to both supported by
of the unattended has to be directed to ears Moray (1959), who
input? one simultaneously, found listeners
message listeners struggled remembered very
to distinguish the few unattended
4. Selective Attention 1
, Participants then messages based words presented
engaged in on meaning 35 times each.
Shadowing:
Repeating one Found very little
auditory information
message verbally seemed to be
as it is presented extracted from the
while a unattended
second auditory message
message
is also presented but Physical changes
ignored were nearly always
detected
Listeners solved the
cocktail party
problem by using
differences between
the auditory inputs
in physical features
(e.g., sex of speaker;
voice intensity;
speaker location)
Barker et al (2020) Participants The superior Supports the
engaged in a temporal gyrus, cocktail party
Cherry’s findings dichotic listening associated with problem
are also task where they auditory
ecologically valid in were presented with processing, Aligns with Cherry’s
everyday life multiple speech showed increased (1953) conclusions
auditory streams activation when about how physical
processing, simultaneously, participants characteristics,
confronted by including two focused on the such as voice pitch
several different different talkers target speech and gender, can
speech speaking different stream rather than help listeners
streams messages but unattended navigate complex
instructed to attend streams auditory
to one speech environments and
stream Findings indicated prioritise specific
that the distinct messages based on
Brain activity was physical these features.
recorded using fMRI characteristics of
the voices, such as
pitch and timbre,
facilitated the
4. Selective Attention 2
