attention 1. definitions of attention concentration of mental resources allocation of mental...

Attention

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Definitions of Attention

• Concentration of mental resources

• Allocation of mental resources

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Multiple Aspect of Attention

• Divided attention

• Selective attention

• Theories of attention

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Divided Attention

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Reinitz & Colleagues (1974)

Divided Attention Condition

Subjects count the dots

Full Attention Condition

No instruction about dots

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Proportion of Responses that were “old” for Each of Two Study Conditions and Two Test Conditions

(Reinitz & Colleagues, 1994).

Study Condition

TestCondition

Full Attention Divided Attention

Old Face

ConjunctionFaces

.81

.48

.48

.42

Divided Attention & Practice

• Hirst, et. al. 1980

• Spelke, 1976

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Demo

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Upset

Hotel

Judge

Employment

Map

Indulge

Pencil

Problem

Key

Terrible

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Can we always divide our attention with practice?

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Cell Phones & Driving – What Does the Research on Divided Attention Show?

• Is it safe to drive while talking on a cell phone?• Some states have passed legislation prohibiting

hand-held but not hands-free cell phones. Does this make any sense

• What about talking to someone in the car while driving versus talking on a cell phone?

• What are the chances of an accident?• Does practice make a difference? Why not?• Compare driving under the influence to cell phone

driving11

Selective Attention

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Selective Attention (Dichotic Listening Task)

• Shadowing

• Irrelevant Channel

• Cocktail Party Effect - Morray (1959)

• Wood and Cowan (1995)

• Treisman (1960)

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Dichotic Listening Task

T, 5, H

LEFT

T

5

H

RIGHT

S

3

G

Cocktail Effect

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Treisman’s Shadowing Study

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Stroop Effect

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Experiment 1

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Read the Word.

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Green

Blue

Red

Purple

Green

Blue

Orange

Red

Blue

Green

Red

Blue

Orange

Green

Blue

Red

Purple

Orange

Green

Black

Stop!

Read the Word. Ignore the color

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Green

Blue

Red

Purple

Green

Blue

Orange

Red

Blue

Green

Red

Blue

Orange

Green

Blue

Red

Purple

Orange

Green

Black

Stop!

Experiment 2

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Name the Color of the Ink

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xxxxx

xxx

xxx

xxxxxx

xxxxx

xxxxx

xxxxxx

xxx

xxxx

xxxxx

xxx

xxxx

xxxxxx

xxxxx

xxxx

xxx

xxxxxx

xxxxxx

xxxxx

xxxxx

Stop!

Name the Color (e.g. Red say “blue”)

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Green

Blue

Red

Purple

Green

Blue

Orange

Red

Blue

Green

Red

Blue

Orange

Green

Blue

Red

Purple

Orange

Green

Black

Stop!

Stroop’s 3 Experiments

• Exp 1 - Selectively attend to the verbal aspect of the stimulus; ignore ink color

• Exp 2 – Selectively attend to the ink color of the stimulus; ignore verbal aspect

• Exp 3 – Why does ignoring the verbal aspect of the stimulus interfere strongly with color naming; but not the reverse?

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Change Blindness Video

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Theories of Attention

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Filter Models of Attention

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Capacity Model of Attention

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Diagnostic Criteria for Automatic and Controlled ProcessesAutomatic Controlled

1. The process occurs withoutintention , wit hout a consciousdecision.

2. the mental process is not open toconscious awareness orintrospection.

3. The process consumes few i f anyconscious resources; that is, itconsumes littl e if any consciousattention.

4. (Informal) The process operatesvery rapid ly, usually w ithin onesecond.

1. The process occurs only withintention , wit h a deli beratedecision.

2. The process is open to awarenessand introspection .

3. The process uses consciousresources; that is, it d rains the poolof conscious attentional capacity.

4. (Informal) The process is relativelyslow, taking more than a second ortw o for completion.

Part ial Autonomy/ AutomaticityA process is said to be partially autonomous if it can begin automatically butrequi res a more conscious set of operations for completion (see Zbrodoff &Logan, 1986).

Diagnostic Criteria for Automatic Processes

Cerebral Cortex & Attention

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