PSYC1020 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Colin Cherry, Scientific Method, Parallel Computing
Scientific paradigm - cognitive
General scientific method (observation-theory recursion and refinement)
Experimental method (IV and DV to test causal theories)
Components of attention
Selectivity
The ability to differentially process, perceive and respond to one of the
several sources of information available
•
Attentional selectivity - the 'cocktail party phenomenon' (Colin Cherry) is the
fact that in a place where there are multiple conversations happen, we can
tune into one particular conversation
•
General research strategy: selective attention tasks eg. dichotic listening
tasks
•
Selective attention tasks (dichotic listening)
Different words play in different ears, subject asked to remember one
of them and say them aloud (shadowing)
○
When the words in the unattended ear were changed to another
language or gibberish, they didn't notice
○
•
Theories of selective attention
A. Broadbent (1958) - filter theory - early selection theory or 'serial
processor'
○
•
BUT Moray and Treisman (1961) included information such as
the research subject/participant's own name in the unattended
ear and found that it was often heard, suggesting that
unattended information may not be filtered out
§
Corteen and Wood (1972) further investigated the processing of
'important' information in the unattended ear
§
B. Deutsch and Deutsch (1963) - Late selection theory or 'parallel
processor'
○
Corteen and Wood (1972) - responses to classical conditioning in a
dichotic listening task, a two-phase experiment
Phase 1: classical conditioning exercise
US --> UR: electric shock --> skin conductance□
CS: apple□
§
Phase 2: dichotic learning task
Presented conditioned vs controlled words in the
unattended message of the task
□
§
Results: Participants couldn't report the unattended message,
not a surprise, however they did show a physiological response
to unattended conditioned words (apple was played in the
unattended ear and it caused a physiological response despite
the fact that the subject didn't hear it)
Demonstrated that multiple channels of information were
getting through, supporting late selection theory
□
§
○
Capacity
Limitations in the ability to process, perceive and respond to several sources
of information simultaneously
•
General research strategy: divided attention tasks eg. look at dual task
performance
Dual tasks - subjects perform tasks individually and at the same time
○
Tasks that require attentional capacity will interfere with each other in
a dual task situation
○
•
Alertness and arousal
The variable amount of 'mental energy' or 'processing power' available•
General research strategy - manipulate arousal and measure performance
Usually measured physiologically eg. heart rate, sweat glands, pupil
diameter (gets bigger with alertness)
○
•
The Yerkes-Dodson Law
Performance is at a peak at an intermediate level of arousal
Extroverts are likely to perform at their best when they're
relaxed, introverts opposite
§
○
•
Attentional (conscious, controlled, analytical etc.) vs
automatic processes
9-10A: Attention
Monday, 4 June 2018
9:43 pm
Document Summary
Experimental method (iv and dv to test causal theories) The ability to differentially process, perceive and respond to one of the several sources of information available. Attentional selectivity - the "cocktail party phenomenon" (colin cherry) is the fact that in a place where there are multiple conversations happen, we can tune into one particular conversation. General research strategy: selective attention tasks eg. dichotic listening tasks. Different words play in different ears, subject asked to remember one of them and say them aloud (shadowing) When the words in the unattended ear were changed to another language or gibberish, they didn"t notice. Theories of selective attention: broadbent (1958) - filter theory - early selection theory or "serial processor" But moray and treisman (1961) included information such as the research subject/participant"s own name in the unattended ear and found that it was often heard, suggesting that unattended information may not be filtered out. Corteen and wood (1972) further investigated the processing of.
