Lecture Notes On Attention

University:
California State University, Northridge
Course:
PSY 150 | Introduction to Psychology
Academic year:

2023
Views:

86

Pages:

1
Author:

JJIssac

Lecture notes on Attention Attention refers to the selective focusof mental resources and concentration.Key aspects include: Forms of Attention Voluntary attention - Willfullydirecting attention based ongoals, controlled internally. Involuntary attention - Attentioncaptured automatically bysalient stimuli, driven externally. Overt attention - Orientingsense organs toward stimuli. Covert attention - Mentallyfocusing without overt orienting. Types of Attention Selective attention - Focusingon specific information andignoring other inputs. Enablesprocessing priorities. Divided attention - Monitoringand responding to multipleconcurrent input streams.Performance typically sufferscompared to focused attention. Sustained attention - Maintaining consistent attentional focus on one taskover time. Vigilance tasksassess this ability. Research Findings Selective attention studies likedichotic listening show limitedprocessing of unattendedinputs. However, exceptions likehearing one's own name revealattention limits. Divided attention studies reveallimits in simultaneously monitoring multiple inputswithout performance declines.Dual-task research aims toexceed these limits throughpractice. The cocktail party effectdemonstrates attention captureby salient meaningful stimuli,even when otherwise focusedelsewhere. The Stroop effect revealsattentional interference whentwo conflicting stimulus dimensions compete forprocessing resources. Conclusion Attention acts as a cognitive filter,enabling us to selectively process thevast sensory inputs bombarding us atany moment based on priorities,expectations, and shifting environmental demands. Understanding attention provides insight into perception, learning,memory and other mental operations.