Attention lecture
24 important questions on Attention lecture
What are the types of attention as delineated on the slide?
- Internal attention involves focusing on memory content (e.g., to-do lists).
- External attention refers to focusing on external stimuli (e.g., pedestrians while driving).
- External attention is further broken down into:
- - Selective attention (e.g., feature-based, spatial, temporal)
- - Sustained/vigilant attention
What is top-down selective attention and how does it function?
- Directed by one's goals and expectations.
- Involves feature-based and location-based strategies.
- Feature-based attention is finding objects with specific characteristics.
- Location-based attention involves monitoring a particular area due to anticipatory strategies, like expecting an event in a video game.
What is the task involved in the top-down selective attention study in the lab?
- Participants are instructed to press a button when they detect a star in either of the two boxes.
- They must keep their gaze fixed on the central cross, where arrows cue the correct box 80% of the time.
- Responses are faster when the central arrow is present.
- Participants have the option to focus on the box indicated by the arrow.
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What demonstrates an example of top-down selective attention in daily life according to the slide?
- Demonstrated through the concept of PHANTOM VIBRATIONS.
- Expectation of a stimulus at a specific location, such as a phone in a pocket.
- An incidental sensation (itch) in that area can cause a false perception of a phone vibration.
What influences exposure to partisan or unreliable news on Google Search according to Roberton et al. (2023)?
- Not primarily by algorithmic curation
- Driven by users’ own choices
- ECHO CHAMBERS & FILTER BUBBLES
What is an example of stimulus-driven attention according to the concept of bottom-up selective attention?
- A sudden loud ‘bang’ from a construction site
- It catches attention based on physical salience
- The stimulus ‘stands out’ from the background due to specific features.
What are the two types of attention processes illustrated, and what drives each type?
- Top-down attention is goal-directed and driven by factors such as curiosity, motivation, and focus.
- Bottom-up attention is stimulus-driven and influenced by elements such as reactions, fear, and pop-up advertisements.
What is demonstrated by the term "bottom-up selective attention" according to the presented task?
- Bottom-up selective attention is examined through a task requiring the determination of line orientation within a unique shape.
- Fast detection occurs when the unique shape contrasts sharply with its surroundings, as shown on the left.
- Slower detection happens when a "color outlier" captures attention first, necessitating a refocus on the unique shape, as demonstrated on the right.
What does relevance-history refer to in the context of selective attention?
- Also known as Selection-history
- Reflects enduring selection biases
- Unrelated to current goals or stimulus-driven saliency
- Reflects historical relevance of selected information
Why is the Cocktail Party Phenomenon not fully top-down in nature?
- Involves being able to focus on single conversation
- Can switch attention rapidly to another conversation
- Suggests some degree of stimulus-driven processing
- Demonstrates mix of top-down and bottom-up influences
Why is the Cocktail Party Phenomenon not fully bottom-up in nature?
- Requires ability to filter out distractions
- Ability to focus on relevant information
- Indicates influence of top-down processing
- Demonstrates interplay of top-down and bottom-up factors
What does the relevance-history and selective attention study demonstrate in the context of the lab?
- The study suggests that stimuli lacking physical salience can still capture attention automatically due to their relevance-history.
- This process is not exclusively driven by bottom-up or top-down mechanisms.
- During the training phase, a reward is likely when the target (a line orientation) is within the red circle.
- In the test phase, the high-reward color from training acts as a distractor and slows down the search for the target.
According to Ward et al. (2017), how does the mere presence of smartphones affect cognitive capacity during sustained attention?
- The presence of smartphones reduces available cognitive capacity
- Smartphones provide rewards like likes, social capital, news, and entertainment
- Smartphone as a stimulus occasionally rewarded, attracting attention
- Variable ratio schedule for reinforcement learning impacts behavior and attention selection
Why can the selective attention towards smartphones be influenced by a relevance-history aspect?
- Smartphones offer rewards which attract attention
- Opening smartphone occasionally leads to finding rewards
- Occasional rewards lead to smartphone becoming a rewarded stimulus
- Variable ratio reinforcement schedule for learning impacts behavior and selection of specific stimulus
What are the types of attention as described in the provided material?
- There are two primary categories: internal attention and external attention.
- Internal attention involves focusing on memory content, such as thinking about a to-do list.
- External attention relates to focusing on external stimuli, like noticing pedestrians while driving.
- Subtypes of external attention include selective attention (e.g., feature-based, spatial), and sustained/vigilant attention.
What is sustained attention?
What are the findings and implications regarding sustained attention from the article published on 18 June 2019?
- The article suggests closed-loop digital meditation can enhance sustained attention in young adults.
- A six-week engagement with a meditation-inspired software called MediTrain showed improvements in sustained attention and working memory.
- The study implies that sustained attention is trainable and influenced by the environment.
Sustained attention & media-multitasking
- Media-multitasking: Concurrent use of multiple digital media streams, or using a digital media stream while doing a non-media activity.
- US adolescents consume 10.5 hours worth of media in 7.5 hours.
- Multitasking involves rapid switching between tasks.
- With constant access to smartphones and the internet, there are distractions like social media notifications.
- Digital technology may alter sustained attention, but whether it is in a negative or positive way is debatable.
How does the Media Multitasking Index differentiate between individuals engaging in media multitasking?
- Classifies individuals into Light vs Heavy media multitaskers
- Identifies the level of multitasking intensity
- Uses a continuous scale to measure media multitasking behaviors
- Allows for a nuanced understanding of multitasking habits
What cognitive aspects are explored in relation to frequent media multitasking according to Ophir, Nass, & Wagner (2009)?
- Investigates the associated cognitive profile of frequent media multitaskers
- Explores sustained effects on cognition due to frequent media multitasking
- Examines the impact of constant exposure to multiple media on cognitive functions
- Seeks to understand the long-term effects on cognitive control
What is the ARCES and what example is provided to illustrate it?
- ARCES stands for Attention-related cognitive errors scale.
- Example provided: "I have gone to the fridge to get one thing (e.g., milk) and taken something else (e.g., juice)."
What are some shortcomings of the ARCES questionnaire used in the study by Ralph et al. (2014) on sustained attention and media-multitasking?
• Respondent may not be aware of correct self-report / recall _________________
• No way to know if the respondent has really understood the question or read it thoroughly before _________________
What is the subject of the study by Ralph et al. (2015), published in Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics?
- The study focuses on sustained attention and media-multitasking.
- Participants performed a metronome task, reacting in synchrony with each tone.
- The study measured response variability on the metronome task as a measure of distraction.
What are the two hypotheses about the effects of media-multitasking on attention mentioned in the provided content?
- The Sustained attention hypothesis suggests chronic multitaskers have more difficulty staying on task after attention lapses.
- The Breadth-biased attention hypothesis states chronic multitaskers are more distracted by irrelevant stimuli, reducing their ability to filter what enters their working memory.
The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:
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