HF 300 - EXAM #2 NOTES (ATTENTION, TIME-SHARING,
MEMORY, & DECISION-MAKING) EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
What are the 4 kinds of attention?
Selective, Focused/Filtered, Divided, Sustained
Selective Attention
Process important information
Focused/Filtered Attention
Keep out unwanted information
Divided Attention
take in multiple pieces of information
Sustained Attention
Maintaining attention over time
Selective Attention Effects
Expectancy, Value, Effort, Salience
Expectancy (selective attention effect)
, Unexpected and more likely to draw attention than something expected. But it may have a
longer reaction time
Value (selective attention effect)
what is the cost of missing the information?
Effort (selective attention effect)
how much effort we need to use to attend can influence whether we do so
Salience (selective attention effect)
importance of raw information (ex. loud sounds, flashing lights, unique colors)
Attentional Capture
the drawing of attention away from a primary goal or task by a salient irrelevant or unexpected
event
inattentional blindness
the ability to detect an otherwise visible object when attention is directed or engaged
somewhere else (ex. being so engaged in your phone while driving or walking that you fail to
see people walking, obstacles, or otherwise important visual cues) (ex. invisible gorilla while
people are asked to watch a ball being thrown around)
change blindness
the failure to detect a change in a visually salient change between eye movements or changes in
viewpoint (ex. failing to notice a big change as a picture flickers on and off again)
MEMORY, & DECISION-MAKING) EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
What are the 4 kinds of attention?
Selective, Focused/Filtered, Divided, Sustained
Selective Attention
Process important information
Focused/Filtered Attention
Keep out unwanted information
Divided Attention
take in multiple pieces of information
Sustained Attention
Maintaining attention over time
Selective Attention Effects
Expectancy, Value, Effort, Salience
Expectancy (selective attention effect)
, Unexpected and more likely to draw attention than something expected. But it may have a
longer reaction time
Value (selective attention effect)
what is the cost of missing the information?
Effort (selective attention effect)
how much effort we need to use to attend can influence whether we do so
Salience (selective attention effect)
importance of raw information (ex. loud sounds, flashing lights, unique colors)
Attentional Capture
the drawing of attention away from a primary goal or task by a salient irrelevant or unexpected
event
inattentional blindness
the ability to detect an otherwise visible object when attention is directed or engaged
somewhere else (ex. being so engaged in your phone while driving or walking that you fail to
see people walking, obstacles, or otherwise important visual cues) (ex. invisible gorilla while
people are asked to watch a ball being thrown around)
change blindness
the failure to detect a change in a visually salient change between eye movements or changes in
viewpoint (ex. failing to notice a big change as a picture flickers on and off again)
