lecture 7 * biology and cognition *

a process of unconscious inference about what is where in the world

it has a couple of limitations when making inferences

1. select information we need
2. block out information we do not need

1. selctive attenuation
2. divided attention
3. furthe distinctions

focuses on one task

attention as filter of information

attention as a glue to bind features

divided across multiple tasks

automatization

top down vs bottom up attention

overt vs covert attention

attention as a filter : relevant information gets processed further, irrelevant information is blocked

step 1 : stimulus → primary sensation

stept 2 : filter

step 3 : meaning of the object recognutuin

step 4 : motor initiation

step 5 : reaction

two messeges presented in 2 stream ( left / right )

only on eof the streams is porcessed , the other no evidence of memory

**people do not process unattended stimuli beyond the analysis of basic physical properties : only early selction ( male voice , pitch etc)**

all other messeges are blocked besides the main one

when you hear your own name in another stream of information you switch attention

participants are inclined to follow the meaning of a message even if presented form different information streams

the filter is only after the meaning of the object and therefor memeory

it is considered unlikley

where selection occurs depends on the task (e.g. primary sensations / semantic level )

filter is attenuate not all or none

unattended message is not fully filtered out

the " leaky filter theory "

1. inattenuation blindness

if we have a " spatial shadowing task " we unattend the changes in the background ( gorilla , colour chage , player that left

a primary task that makes us focus on something specific

tasks that can be combined and done together while still paying attention

( riding a bike and having a conversation )

there are multiple pashways trough the filter , ( mutiple stimuli and multiple resposnes)

the fronto parietal brain network

consciousness processing

connect stimulus to a response

pay attention

deliberate ignoring

working memory

decision making

planning

sequentially : switching from one task to another

task becomes automatic

they bypass " central processing" ( go from primary sensation to response directly )

no awarness

no intention

no effort

walking , reading , talking

name the colour of the ink ignoring the word > strong automatic inferences

the automatisation ( naming the ink colour without reading the word )

1. consistent mapping much higher chance of automaticity
2. varied mapping

a target on any trial is never used as a distractor on any other trial

a target on one trial can be used as a distractor on another trial

in consistent mapping / NOT in varied mapping

initial distractors become targets and vice versa

featured based attention

location based : spatial attention to a spatial location

object based attention : to an entire object

internally : to thoughts , memories (> working memory)

top down attention : goal driven attention , endogeneous
bottom up attention : stimulus driven attention, exogenous

attention to a pshysical property of an object, such as color or shape

easy

automatic

we can attand to colour or shape without too much effort

stage one : to detect just features , no attention is needed

automatic , parallel, no effort

stage two : attention serves to bind features into objects

conjunctions are harder , need to look around , serial process

top down in order to bind features

unattended features that are unboand

nr of objects as we need to either process in paeallel or serial

incorrectly bound features

patient with bilateral parietal lesions

high nr of illusionary conjuctions

we can direct attention to locations in space with no eye moevemnt

attention can be endogenously driven by our intentions : top down

**internal guidance of attention**

attention fom outside of the self

attention is exogenously drawn by the environment flashes : bottom up

usually attention precedes the behavioural overt expression > eye movement

in the spatial cueing task , attention is directed without eye movements