PSYC 1001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: George Sperling, Cognitive Load, Afterimage

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1001
• Professor: Lorena Ruci

Document Summary

Chapter focus: encoding, storage and retrieval methods in the human brain. Encoding: getting information into memory: the role of attention. Attention involves focusing awareness on a narrowed range of stimuli or events. Selective attention critical to everyday functioning. Attention linked with a filter that screens out most potential stimuli while allowing select few to pass through into conscious response (debate where is the filter is located; either screened out early or later) Research suggests that the location of the filter is flexible rather than fixed. Location of attention filter depends on the cognitive load lavie. Harder tasks high load tasks that consume must of our attention therefore attentional selection occurs early; easier tasks more attentional selection is left over to process meaning of distraction, allowing for later selection. Research suggests that the human brain can effectively handle only one attention-consuming task at a time: levels of processing.