NSCS 200 ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
How does the "cocktail party effect" and "inattentional blindness" contribute to our
understanding of selective attention? - CORRECT ANSWER
In what ways is a "spotlight" considered a nice analogy of attention - CORRECT
ANSWER
How do early stage and late stage models of selective attention differ? Which model do dichotic
listening experiment provide support for, why? - CORRECT ANSWER early refers to the
filter occurring before info is analyzed, while late refers to the filter occurring after the info is
analyzed. Dichotic provides support for late stage selection because participants were not
consciously aware of the words.
What is the difference between top-down and bottom-up attention? What are examples of
internal top-down, external top-down, internal bottom-up, and external bottom-up attention? -
CORRECT ANSWER top-down is more goal-directed while bottom-up is more reflexive.
1.) A real-world example of top-down external attention is when we're looking for a black shirt
so we will ignore other shirts that are more colorful.
2.) A real-world example of bottom-up external attention is when we are walking in a park and
hear someone scream, no matter how deep in thought we are we will look around and see where
it came from.
3.) A real-world example of top-down internal attention is when trying to meditate and focus on
our breathing but even though there are other sounds outside of us we still focus on our
breathing.
4.) A real-world example of bottom-up internal attention is when we read an article, and then a
memory comes up.
What brain systems discussed in class are involved in internal, external, and bottom-up
attention? - CORRECT ANSWER Internal: Default network
external: Dorsal attention network
bottom-up attention: Salience network
, Describe the difference:
a) short term and long term memory
b) explicit and implicit memory
c) episodic and semantic memory
d) retrograde and anterograde amnesia - CORRECT ANSWER a) Short term is 5-7 items
while long-term is days, years, etc.
b) Explicit is declarative; facts, things you know you can tell others. Implicit is procedural; skills,
things you can show others by doing
c) Types of explicit, episodic is a way to recall specific personal experiences while semantic is a
way to recall general knowledge.
d) Retrograde is the loss of access to old memories, anterograde is loss pf ability to create new
long-term memories
What is another name for memory for skills - CORRECT ANSWER Implicit or procedural
memory
What is a serial position curve? Explain the difference between primacy and recency effects -
CORRECT ANSWER Memory is better for words presented at the beginning and end of a
list.
Primacy is due to attention and rehearsal eventually moving to long-term memory while recency
is due to short-term memory still in mind
a) Who is H.M. and what part of his brain was affected?
b) what does his case reveal about the nature of memory?
c) Was procedural memory spared in H.M.?
d) Which kind of memory was impaired? - CORRECT ANSWER a) henry Molaisin
b) There are many different types of memory
c) Yes
d) explicit/ declarative
CORRECT ANSWERS
How does the "cocktail party effect" and "inattentional blindness" contribute to our
understanding of selective attention? - CORRECT ANSWER
In what ways is a "spotlight" considered a nice analogy of attention - CORRECT
ANSWER
How do early stage and late stage models of selective attention differ? Which model do dichotic
listening experiment provide support for, why? - CORRECT ANSWER early refers to the
filter occurring before info is analyzed, while late refers to the filter occurring after the info is
analyzed. Dichotic provides support for late stage selection because participants were not
consciously aware of the words.
What is the difference between top-down and bottom-up attention? What are examples of
internal top-down, external top-down, internal bottom-up, and external bottom-up attention? -
CORRECT ANSWER top-down is more goal-directed while bottom-up is more reflexive.
1.) A real-world example of top-down external attention is when we're looking for a black shirt
so we will ignore other shirts that are more colorful.
2.) A real-world example of bottom-up external attention is when we are walking in a park and
hear someone scream, no matter how deep in thought we are we will look around and see where
it came from.
3.) A real-world example of top-down internal attention is when trying to meditate and focus on
our breathing but even though there are other sounds outside of us we still focus on our
breathing.
4.) A real-world example of bottom-up internal attention is when we read an article, and then a
memory comes up.
What brain systems discussed in class are involved in internal, external, and bottom-up
attention? - CORRECT ANSWER Internal: Default network
external: Dorsal attention network
bottom-up attention: Salience network
, Describe the difference:
a) short term and long term memory
b) explicit and implicit memory
c) episodic and semantic memory
d) retrograde and anterograde amnesia - CORRECT ANSWER a) Short term is 5-7 items
while long-term is days, years, etc.
b) Explicit is declarative; facts, things you know you can tell others. Implicit is procedural; skills,
things you can show others by doing
c) Types of explicit, episodic is a way to recall specific personal experiences while semantic is a
way to recall general knowledge.
d) Retrograde is the loss of access to old memories, anterograde is loss pf ability to create new
long-term memories
What is another name for memory for skills - CORRECT ANSWER Implicit or procedural
memory
What is a serial position curve? Explain the difference between primacy and recency effects -
CORRECT ANSWER Memory is better for words presented at the beginning and end of a
list.
Primacy is due to attention and rehearsal eventually moving to long-term memory while recency
is due to short-term memory still in mind
a) Who is H.M. and what part of his brain was affected?
b) what does his case reveal about the nature of memory?
c) Was procedural memory spared in H.M.?
d) Which kind of memory was impaired? - CORRECT ANSWER a) henry Molaisin
b) There are many different types of memory
c) Yes
d) explicit/ declarative
