Organisation Document
1. Attention
2. Short term memory & Working memory
3. Long term memory
4. Language
5. Problem solving
6. Decision making
Week 1 - Attention
Chapter 4 - Attention
Learning goal Key terms
Pioneering studies
Basic Attention → the ability to focus on specific stimuli or locations
definitions
Selective attention → attending to one thing while ignoring others (attempt to focus on maths problem, ignore background people talking)
Distraction → online stimulus interfering with the processing of another stimulus
Divided attention → paying attention to more than one thing at once
, Attentional capture → rapid shifting of attention usually caused by a stimuli such as a loud noise, bright light, or sudden movement
Spatial attention
Visual scanning → movements of the eyes from one location or object to another
- Covert
- Overt
Broadbent’s (1) 1800’s-1900s - Early research attempted to study mind by introspection
filter model of (2) 1920s - Behaviourism ignores attention, as tasks of introspection were difficult
attention (3) 1950’s attention returned when Braodbent introduced the information processing approach to cognition
WWII: Attention becomes important again
- WWII placed humans in situation where they are bombarded with information: attention
once again became important
- Use of tape recorded
Dichotic listening experiment
- 2 earbuds in different ears: focus attention on one ear ‘attended ear’
- Shadowing - repeat what you hear out loud in attended ear
- Then, without shifting attention try to see what you can take from ‘unattended ear’ (gender
of voice, content)
Dichotic listening study: Cherry (1953)
- “people can shadow spoken message presented, could report whether unattended message
was spoken by gender, but couldn’t report content
- “Participants are not aware of most info be presented to unattended ear”
Broadbent’s model of attention (1958)
- Sought to explain dichotic studies
- Bottleneck Model: filter restricts information flow, keeps large potion of info from getting through
- Early selection model: filter eliminates unattended info right at beginning of flow of information, before its consciously perceived
,
, - EARLY SELECTION, BOTTLE NECK MODEL (FILTER ELIMINATES UNATTENDED INFORMATION, BEFORE IT'S FULLY ANALYSED AND
CONSCIOUSLY PERCEIVED (BY DETECTOR)
Modification of Experiments led to modification of Broadbent's theory
Broadbent: the
Attenuation Moray (1959): dichotic listening experiment with name presented in unattended ear
Model - When name was presented, about ⅓ of participants detected it
- Cocktail party effect → ability to focus on one stimulus while filtering out a range of different noise
Gray and Weddderburn’s 1960 dear aunt jane experiment
- Attended ear: dear 7 jane, unattended ear: aunt 6. Message reported: Dear Aunt Jane
- Attention can jump from one ear to another
Treisman’s Attenuation model of attention (1964)
- Leaky filter model → since some of unattended message gets through the attenuator
1. Attention
2. Short term memory & Working memory
3. Long term memory
4. Language
5. Problem solving
6. Decision making
Week 1 - Attention
Chapter 4 - Attention
Learning goal Key terms
Pioneering studies
Basic Attention → the ability to focus on specific stimuli or locations
definitions
Selective attention → attending to one thing while ignoring others (attempt to focus on maths problem, ignore background people talking)
Distraction → online stimulus interfering with the processing of another stimulus
Divided attention → paying attention to more than one thing at once
, Attentional capture → rapid shifting of attention usually caused by a stimuli such as a loud noise, bright light, or sudden movement
Spatial attention
Visual scanning → movements of the eyes from one location or object to another
- Covert
- Overt
Broadbent’s (1) 1800’s-1900s - Early research attempted to study mind by introspection
filter model of (2) 1920s - Behaviourism ignores attention, as tasks of introspection were difficult
attention (3) 1950’s attention returned when Braodbent introduced the information processing approach to cognition
WWII: Attention becomes important again
- WWII placed humans in situation where they are bombarded with information: attention
once again became important
- Use of tape recorded
Dichotic listening experiment
- 2 earbuds in different ears: focus attention on one ear ‘attended ear’
- Shadowing - repeat what you hear out loud in attended ear
- Then, without shifting attention try to see what you can take from ‘unattended ear’ (gender
of voice, content)
Dichotic listening study: Cherry (1953)
- “people can shadow spoken message presented, could report whether unattended message
was spoken by gender, but couldn’t report content
- “Participants are not aware of most info be presented to unattended ear”
Broadbent’s model of attention (1958)
- Sought to explain dichotic studies
- Bottleneck Model: filter restricts information flow, keeps large potion of info from getting through
- Early selection model: filter eliminates unattended info right at beginning of flow of information, before its consciously perceived
,
, - EARLY SELECTION, BOTTLE NECK MODEL (FILTER ELIMINATES UNATTENDED INFORMATION, BEFORE IT'S FULLY ANALYSED AND
CONSCIOUSLY PERCEIVED (BY DETECTOR)
Modification of Experiments led to modification of Broadbent's theory
Broadbent: the
Attenuation Moray (1959): dichotic listening experiment with name presented in unattended ear
Model - When name was presented, about ⅓ of participants detected it
- Cocktail party effect → ability to focus on one stimulus while filtering out a range of different noise
Gray and Weddderburn’s 1960 dear aunt jane experiment
- Attended ear: dear 7 jane, unattended ear: aunt 6. Message reported: Dear Aunt Jane
- Attention can jump from one ear to another
Treisman’s Attenuation model of attention (1964)
- Leaky filter model → since some of unattended message gets through the attenuator
