PYC3703 – COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
CHAPTER 4: ATTENTION
Key Terms Explanation Pg
The ability to focus on specific stimuli or
Attention 86
locations
If there is a certain stimulus in our
environment that is capable of eliciting a
Attentional bias 117
strong emotional response, then that stimulus
will likely draw our attention
Attentional A rapid shifting of attention usually caused by
87
capture a stimulus such as a loud noise
Attenuation
model of 90
attention
Analyses the incoming message in terms of
Attenuator its physical characteristics (high pitched) and 90
its meaning
A type of processing that occurs with intention
Automatic
and at a cost of none or only some of a 106
processing
person’s cognitive resources
Balint’s Inability to focus attention on individual
115
syndrome objects
The process by which features such as
colour, form, motion and location are
Binding 112
combined to create our perception of a
coherent object
Question of how an object’s individual
Binding problem 113
features become bound together
Broadbent’s model, because the filter restricts
Bottleneck model 90
information flow
Change
Difficulty in detecting changes in scenes 111
blindness
Cocktail party Talking to someone in a noisy room and you
90
effect suddenly hear someone else say your name
Cognitive load 97
Conjunction
116
search
Shifting attention from one place to another
Covert attention 99
while keeping the eyes stationary
Cueing 103
, Presenting different stimuli to each ear and
Dichotic listening asking the participant to pay attention to the 89
one and not the other
Contains words or concepts, stored in
Dictionary unit memory, each of which has a threshold for 91
being activated
One stimulus interfering with the processing
Distraction 86
of another stimulus
Paying attention to more than one thing at a
Divided attention 87
time
2 pictures/words are briefly presented left-
Dot probe task 11
right or above-below a fixation point
Broadbent’s model, because the filter
eliminated the unattended information right at
Early selection
the beginning of the flow of information, thus 90
model
before it is fully analysed and before it is
consciously perceived
Always appear in the centre of the computer
Endogenous
screen and indicate where the participant can 103
cues
expect the subsequent target
Appear at one of the locations where the
Exogenous cues subsequent target could appear (left or right 103
from fixation)
Tackles the question of how we perceive
Feature
individual features as part of the same object 113
integration theory
by proposing a 2 stage process
Feature search 116
Filter model of
Broadbent diagram (chapter 1) 89
attention
Fixation Pausing on an object 100
Flanker
96
compatibility task
Focused
“free-floating” features are combined 114
attention stage
High-load task Use more of a person’s processing capacity 93
Illusory
Combinations of features from different stimuli 114
conjunctions
Inattentional Can be unaware of clearly visible stimuli if
108
blindness they aren’t directing their attention to them
CHAPTER 4: ATTENTION
Key Terms Explanation Pg
The ability to focus on specific stimuli or
Attention 86
locations
If there is a certain stimulus in our
environment that is capable of eliciting a
Attentional bias 117
strong emotional response, then that stimulus
will likely draw our attention
Attentional A rapid shifting of attention usually caused by
87
capture a stimulus such as a loud noise
Attenuation
model of 90
attention
Analyses the incoming message in terms of
Attenuator its physical characteristics (high pitched) and 90
its meaning
A type of processing that occurs with intention
Automatic
and at a cost of none or only some of a 106
processing
person’s cognitive resources
Balint’s Inability to focus attention on individual
115
syndrome objects
The process by which features such as
colour, form, motion and location are
Binding 112
combined to create our perception of a
coherent object
Question of how an object’s individual
Binding problem 113
features become bound together
Broadbent’s model, because the filter restricts
Bottleneck model 90
information flow
Change
Difficulty in detecting changes in scenes 111
blindness
Cocktail party Talking to someone in a noisy room and you
90
effect suddenly hear someone else say your name
Cognitive load 97
Conjunction
116
search
Shifting attention from one place to another
Covert attention 99
while keeping the eyes stationary
Cueing 103
, Presenting different stimuli to each ear and
Dichotic listening asking the participant to pay attention to the 89
one and not the other
Contains words or concepts, stored in
Dictionary unit memory, each of which has a threshold for 91
being activated
One stimulus interfering with the processing
Distraction 86
of another stimulus
Paying attention to more than one thing at a
Divided attention 87
time
2 pictures/words are briefly presented left-
Dot probe task 11
right or above-below a fixation point
Broadbent’s model, because the filter
eliminated the unattended information right at
Early selection
the beginning of the flow of information, thus 90
model
before it is fully analysed and before it is
consciously perceived
Always appear in the centre of the computer
Endogenous
screen and indicate where the participant can 103
cues
expect the subsequent target
Appear at one of the locations where the
Exogenous cues subsequent target could appear (left or right 103
from fixation)
Tackles the question of how we perceive
Feature
individual features as part of the same object 113
integration theory
by proposing a 2 stage process
Feature search 116
Filter model of
Broadbent diagram (chapter 1) 89
attention
Fixation Pausing on an object 100
Flanker
96
compatibility task
Focused
“free-floating” features are combined 114
attention stage
High-load task Use more of a person’s processing capacity 93
Illusory
Combinations of features from different stimuli 114
conjunctions
Inattentional Can be unaware of clearly visible stimuli if
108
blindness they aren’t directing their attention to them
