limited capacity attention

limited capacity attention

1. brain limited in amount of information in outside world it can take in at one time

2. Kahneman: within the brain is a 'limited-capacity central processor' responsible for analysing incoming information and integrating it with that already held

3. idea supported by dual-task study that found people responded more slowly to a letter and a tone presented simultaneously

4. replicated study requiring different responses found that response time was not slowed - suggests that may have different pools of resources for different tasks - not one central processor

5. led to multiple resource theories of attention although difficult to establish how they are divided for different senses / information

   • could be different levels of the system

6. idea is important as we are aware of processing limitations in everyday life - different kinds of theory useful in stimulating research into how 'system' works