Attention
Attention in its different forms (selective attention, divided attention, etc.) is an essential aspect of cognition. The goal of this discussion forum is to introduce you to the topic of attention and the procedures used to study it.
- Watch the video, The Study of Attention.
- Watch the video, The Attentional Blink Test.
Optional Support:
o Go to the Coglab to experience one of the procedures/tasks that scientists have used to investigate attention and its different phenomena.
o Select one of the following experiments:
- Stroop Effect (i.e., how reaction time to name the colors in which words are printed is affected by conflicting information, such as the word red printed in green)
- Change Detection (i.e., how people fail to detect changes in their environment)
- Attentional Blink (i.e., how paying attention to a stimulus affects our ability to attend to a subsequent stimulus).
Keep in mind that each experiment illustrates a procedure/task that is used by scientists to understand attention. Read the section of the textbook devoted to the selected procedure/task. Then, ask yourself what participants' performance on the selected task tells you about attention (e.g., selective attention, divided attention, and sustained attention). Also, consider the extent to which the results of each procedure apply to real-life experiences and settings. Support your points with evidence from at least one peer-reviewed research article.
Your initial post must be a minimum of 300 words.