ATTENTION & PERCEPTION

ATTENTION & PERCEPTION

1. SECTION 2 - NATURE OF ATTENTION

   • PHENOMENON OF CONSCIOUS ATTENTION
     • EDGAR
       • EMPHASISES THE SELECTION AND ALLOCATION OF COGNITIVE RESOURCES IN HIS DEFINITION
       • REFERENCES TO SIMONS AND LEVIN - CHANGE BLINDNESS
       • SUGGESTS LINKS WITH SOCIAL IDENTITY AS WELL AS PERCEPTION ITSELF
     • EVOLUTIONARY PSYCH = WHY DO WE TAKE IN SO LITTLE?
     • ALLOCATION OF ATTENTIONAL RESOURCES
       • KAHNEMAN
         • SUGGESTED NETWORK OF BRAIN CELLS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANALYSING INCOMING INFORMATION
         • ALREADY HELD WITHIN THE LIMITED CENTRAL CAPACITY PROCESSOR
           • CAPACITY OF PROCESSOR = VARIABLE ACCORDING TO AROUSAL THAT BRAIN EXPERIENCES
             • HIGH AROUSAL = PROCESSOR IS FUNCTIONING AT MAXIMUM
               • LOW AROUSAL = MORE RESTRICTED - CHANGE BLINDNESS
         • IN CONTRAST
           • MCLEOD
             • &
             • MULTIPLE RESOURCES THEORIES GREW FROM MCLEOD
               • IN RESPONSE TO CENTRAL PROCESSOR THEORIES
         • POSNER AND BOIES
           • DUAL TASK STUDIES
           • BRAIN DOES NOT HAVE ONE CENTRAL PROCESSOR
             • BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN ATTEND TO MORE THAN ONE ATTENTIONAL TASK AT A TIME
               • AS LONG AS TASKS ARE FROM DIFFERENT MODALITIES
                 • MODALITIES NOT ESTABLISHED CLEARLY THOUGH
                   • IS NOT CLEAR IF ATTENTION IS REGULATED BY - CENTRAL PROCESSOR + MODALITY-SPECIFIC PROCESSORS
                     • OR
                       • IF THEY ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
                         • COMPLEMENTARY OR CONFLICTING??
         • ATTENTIONAL SPOTLIGHT
           • USING CENTRAL PROCESSOR MODEL

2. SECTION 1 - CLARIFICATION/DEFINITION

   • ATTENTION = PROCESS OF SELECTION
   • NON SELECTED INFO IS NOT ATTENDED TO
   • UNCONSCIOUS PERCEPTION
     • TRIESMAN
       • ATTENTION SWITCHING / COCKTAIL PARTY EFFECT
         • WHEN OUR NAME IS CALLED AT A PARTY BY SOMEONE YOU WERE NOT FOCUSING ON AND YOU HEAR IT.
     • SCHNEIDER & SHIFFRIN
       • DISTINCTION BETWEEN CONTROLLED & AUTOMATIC PROCESSES
         • AUTOMATIC PROCESSES = MAKE NO DEMANDS ON ATTENTIONAL RESOURCES, DO NOT DRAW ON ATTENTIONAL CAPACITY
           • OR PROCESSING RESOURCES - HAPPEN WITHOUT CONSCIOUS AWARENESS
     • UNCONSCIOUS PERCEPTIONS DO NOT SEEM TO REQUIRE ATTENTION
   • SOME OF INFO NOT SELECTED FOR ATTENTION IS PROCESSED OUTSIDE CONSCIOUS AWARENESS
     • MUCH OF PROCESSING THAT TAKES PLACE DURING CONSCIOUS PERCEPTION ALSO HAPPENS OUT OF CONSCIOUS PERCEPTION
   • MEMORY PROCESSES
     • EDGAR
     • EPISODIC
       • SPECIFIC EVENTS
       • HIPPOCAMPUS
     • SEMANTIC
       • GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
       • TEMPORAL CORTEX

3. SELECTION PROCESS THAT OPERATES BETWEEN WHAT IS SENSED & PERCIEVED

4. SENSATION -----> ATTENTION ----->PERCEPTION

5. ESSENTIAL PROCESS WHAT WE SENSE & PERCEIVE

6. 2 KINDS - CONSCIOUS - (INVOLVES ATTENTION)

   • UNCONSCIOUS - (DOES NOT INVOLVE ATTENTION)
   • FOR EXTRA MARKS IN EXAM LINK BETWEEN DIFFERENT TOPIC AREAS

7. ONE CONSTANT = ATTENTIONAL PROCESSES ARE LIMITED IN CAPACITIES

   • SOME SENSORY INPUT GOES UNATTENDED

8. SELECTION OCCURS BY -

   • BROADBENT
     • IT OCCURS AT EARLY STAGE OF PROCESSING
     • ON BASIS OF PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INPUT
     • SPLIT LIFESPAN EXPERIMENT
   • TRIESMAN
     • ATTENTION WOULD BE SWITCHED FROM CURRENT FOCUS
     • TO DIFFERENT ONE IF SECOND FOCUS IS MEANINGFUL AND SIGNIFICANT TO THE PERSON
       • IE INFORMATION THAT WAS NOT BEING CONSCIOUSLY ATTENDED TO CAN ATTRACT OUR ATTENTION =
     • AT SOME LEVEL IS BEING ATTENDED TO
     • POSSIBILITY OF UNCONSCIOUS ATTENTION
   • EXTENDED DUE TO TRIESMAN
     • SCHENIDER & SHRIFFIN
       • DISTINCTION BETWEEN CONTROLLED (VOLUNTARY) & AUTOMATIC PROCESSES.
         • AUTOMATIC PROCESSES = ECONOMICAL FOR COGNITIVE RESOURSES
           • CAN BE HINDERANCE - IF TASK REQUIRES US TO INHIBIT/NULLIFY EFFECTS
             • EG - STROOP EFFECT
               • EG = FLANKER COMPATIBILITY EFFECT - LAVIE
   • SACKS
     • GATHERING SENSORY INFO & LINKING IT TO STORED KNOWLEDGE
       • ARE SEPERATE PROCESSES
         • LINKING SENSORY INFO + STORED KNOWLEDGE = NON ATTENTIONAL PROCESS
           • & BOTH GATHERING & LINKING ARE ESSENTIAL FOR PERCEPTION