Psych 251 - Attention (topic 5)

Attention refers to the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on a discrete aspect of information, whether that is perceived or only internally generated. It involves the allocation of limited cognitive resources to enhance processing of certain stimuli or tasks while ignoring others.

Attention is crucial for focusing our cognitive resources effectively, making decisions, and achieving goals. It helps us filter out distractions and stay on track with what truly matters.

The challenge of attention involves focusing on relevant information and ignoring distractions, rather than simply being surrounded by distractions or having difficulty with memory or boredom.

In this question, we are referring to the concept of a 'source' which can be either external or internal based on the cause for directing one's attention.

An exogenous source refers to stimuli that originate from the external environment and trigger automatic responses. Examples include sudden loud noises or bright lights that reflexively capture attention.

An endogenous source refers to something originating or produced from within the mind, rather than from external factors. It involves intentional and conscious processes, such as desires, goals, or instructions.

Targets are typically classified as either static targets, which do not move, or moving targets, which are in motion.

Targets in this context refer to objectives or goals, not physical objects like shooting targets or archery targets.

In this question, we are discussing whether something originates from within or outside a system. 'Endogenous' refers to something originating from within the system, while 'exogenous' refers to something originating from outside the system. 'Internal' and 'external' are broader terms that can refer to both endogenous and exogenous factors based on the context.

In this question, the correct pairing is 'overt' with 'sustained'. 'Overt' refers to actions that are easily observable or seen, while 'sustained' implies that the actions are maintained over a period of time. The incorrect pairings do not accurately match these definitions.

An external target refers to sensory information in the environment that includes various stimuli and objects around us. It does not pertain to internal thoughts, psychological processes, or biological functions.

Internal Target refers to mental representations or thoughts within the mind, which can include memories, imagery, or plans. These are not physical objects, external targets, or emotions.

Attention type can be categorized based on various characteristics such as whether it is overt or covert, transient or sustained, and selective or divided. The correct answer provided covers these distinctions.

The correct answer distinguishes between overt attention which involves actual movement of sensory surfaces like eyes, and covert attention which does not involve physical movement. The incorrect answers inaccurately describe the differences between overt and covert attention.

The dichotic listening paradigm involves playing 2 different messages, one in each ear, with the participant instructed to attend to information in one specific ear and shadowing it. This task helps to study attention mechanisms in the brain.

In the dichotic listening paradigm, individuals are able to report basic characteristics of the unattended message such as its existence and the gender of the speaker, but they are unable to report the content of the message. This phenomenon aligns with early filtering models like Broadbent's filter model, which suggest that filtering occurs after low level perceptual analysis but before processing for meaning.

When a message is repeated 35 times, it is likely to be considered spam or unsolicited content, as this behavior often indicates automated or unwanted messages.

Treisman's attenuation theory highlights a unique feature in information processing where attention is attenuated rather than completely filtered out at an early stage, allowing weakly processed information to be further analyzed if deemed important.

The correct answer describes the phenomenon where participants were more likely to choose the sentence about the river when presented to the unattended ear, even though they couldn't consciously report the word. This shows how biasing words can affect participant's choices without their awareness.

The correct answer talks about the late model of attentional selection proposed by McKay (1973). The three incorrect answers provide contrasting concepts that diverge from McKay's findings.

The correct answer emphasizes the fact that attentional selection involves strategic control, the ability to choose between early and late selection based on the situation, and the involvement of top-down modulation. It is not a black-and-white scenario, but rather operates on a continuum.

Studying the neural effects of attention can provide insights into cognitive processes and ways to enhance focus and concentration.

EEG specifically measures brain activity, not muscle activity (Electromyography), heart activity (Electrocardiogram), or heart imaging (Echocardiogram).

Event-related potentials (ERPs) are measured mainly from pyramidal cell dendrites at the gyri, as they exhibit the necessary electrical activity for ERP measurements. Other types of cells mentioned in the incorrect answers do not play a significant role in generating ERPs.

An ERP (Event-Related Potential) is a brain response that is the direct result of a specific sensory, cognitive, or motor event. When recorded, ERPs appear as distinct electrical patterns in the brain activity, usually in the form of peaks and troughs on a graph. This makes the first incorrect answers unrealistic and unrelated to the concept of ERP recording.

ERP's are manipulated by averaging across many trials to cancel out background noise, time locking to the event of interest, and typically being plotted with negative up. Randomizing across trials, ignoring background noise, and plotting with positive up would not produce reliable ERP data.

Event-related potentials associated with hearing something start just 10 ms after stimulus presented, originating from the brainstem. Incorrect answers have been provided based on varying time intervals and different brain regions.