Attention

1. Attention Definition: Concentration of mental effort or energy on a selected internal or external signal. Cocktail party effect: selective effects of attention Major issue: early vs. late filtering Broadbent single filter model: early selection based on physical characteristics of stimulus Treisman attenuation model: early selection based on meaning – semantic processing biased by virtual in varying input energies and recognition threshold’s of stored representations

2. Early vs. Late filters

3. Broadbent’s single filter model http://www.simplypsychology.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/broadbent.jpg

4. Treisman’s Attenuation model

5. Attention: Late filter models • Deutch & Norman pertinence model: response filter based on enduring dispositions and momentary intentions • Problem in assessing late vs. early: often they made similar predictions based on different logic • Attention as spotlight: Palmer (1990) when attentional precision drops when attention more widely dispersed over larger spatial area • Attention as resource allocation problem: dual task studies show decrements in performance on primary task when secondary task added

6. Kahneman’s resource allocation model of attention

7. Attention: Automatic vs. Controlled Processing • Dual task paradigms: Also show that with practice some secondary tasks do not cause decrements in primary task performance. • Characteristics of automatic processing: • Require little or not cognitive resources • Run off without intention/awareness • Cause no dual task interference When do task become automatic? Snyder & Shiffrin (1977) – “consistent mapping” of input patterns to responses. The more consistent – less practice required; more complex – more practice