Question 1

The overall level of alertness of an individual is called _______, as distinguished from the process by which we select and focus on one or more stimuli, which is called _______.
A) attention; vigilance
B) vigilance; attention
C) arousal; scanning
D) scanning; arousal

Accepted Answer

The first blank refers to the overall level of alertness or readiness to detect stimuli, which is vigilance. The second blank refers to the process by which we selectively direct our attention to specific stimuli, which is attention. Therefore, the correct answer is "vigilance; attention," which is described only in option B.

Question 2

A person credited with having "eyes in the back of their head" more probably is skilled at
A) covert attention.
B) overt attention.
C) selective tuning.
D) the cocktail party effect.

Accepted Answer

"Eyes in the back of their head" refers to someone who is able to be aware of their surroundings and notice things happening behind them without physically turning around. This requires the use of covert attention, which is the ability to attend to something without moving your eyes or head in that direction.

Question 3

A viewer closely focused on a complex task, such as being asked to count how many times a group of people throw a ball back and forth, may miss other nonattended stimuli such as dancers moving through the group of people. This is due to an attentional phenomenon called
A) shadowing.
B) inattentional blindness.
C) filter failure.
D) differential blindness.

Accepted Answer

Inattentional blindness occurs when attention is so focused on one task that other stimuli, even if they are in plain sight, are not consciously perceived. The example given in the question is a classic illustration of inattentional blindness.

Question 4

In the shadowing experiment, subjects are presented simultaneously with different stimuli to each ear and asked to focus their attention only on one ear. The result is that subjects are unable to report much about the content in the unattended ear. Which form of attentional processing accounts for this difficulty?
A) Early selection
B) Late selection
C) Attentional spotlight
D) Attentional blindness

Accepted Answer

Early selection theory suggests that attention acts like a filter early in the processing of sensory input, with unattended information being blocked out before it reaches conscious awareness. This theory is supported by the shadowing experiment, in which subjects are unable to report much about the content in the unattended ear, suggesting that the unattended information is filtered out at an early stage of processing.

Question 5

In early-selection models of attention, when is information filtered out?
A) Prior to sensory input
B) At the level of sensory input
C) At the level of semantic meaning
D) After conscious awareness

Accepted Answer

In early-selection models of attention, information is filtered out at the level of sensory input, meaning that only certain sensory information is processed further based on physical characteristics such as location or basic features. This occurs before information reaches higher-level cognitive processing.

Question 6

Despite high levels of background noise, you are able to selectively tune in to what your friend is saying in a crowded cafe. This selective enhancement is referred to as the _______ effect.
A) covert attention
B) perceptual load
C) cocktail party
D) early-selection

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is commonly known as the cocktail party effect. It refers to the ability to focus one's attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli, such as in noisy environments like a crowded cafe.

Question 7

The _______ bottleneck refers to a filter that results from the limits of our attentional capacity.
A) attentional
B) perceptual
C) early-selection
D) shadowing

Accepted Answer

The term "attentional bottleneck" specifically refers to a filter that limits our ability to attend to multiple sources of information simultaneously. This filter occurs due to the finite nature of our attentional capacity and can result in decreased processing of certain stimuli or even complete failure to perceive them. Perceptual, early-selection, and shadowing don't specifically refer to this type of filter.

Question 8

When we focus on simple tasks or objects, our relatively light _______ allows for the processing of additional stimuli (i.e., multi-tasking).
A) covert attention
B) shadowing
C) divided-attention
D) perceptual load

Accepted Answer

Perceptual load refers to the amount of attention needed to complete a task. When a task has a low perceptual load (i.e., it is simple), our attentional resources are relatively free and can be used for additional stimuli or tasks, such as multi-tasking. Therefore, D is the best choice as it directly concerns the ability to process additional stimuli while focusing on simple tasks.

Question 9

Male frogs seeking mates vocalize among birds, insects, and the chorus of other species of frogs. That females are able to locate male frogs of their species among all the ambient noise provides an example of the _______ effect.
A) shadowing
B) vigilance
C) cocktail party
D) screening

Accepted Answer

The situation described in the passage, where females are able to differentiate and locate male frogs of their species among all the ambient noise, is an example of the cocktail party effect. This refers to the ability of individuals to focus their attention on a specific stimulus, in this case, the specific vocalizations of the male frogs. The term "cocktail party effect" comes from the ability of individuals to focus their attention on a particular conversation in a noisy room, much like picking out the voice of a specific person at a cocktail party.

Question 10

An example of the evolutionary significance of the attentional spotlight is the ability to
A) equally focus our attention on two or more important stimuli simultaneously.
B) seemingly focus most of our attention on one task, while covertly attending to another.
C) fix our attention on one stimuli, without being able focusing on anything else.
D) shifting our attention around the environment, highlighting important stimuli for enhanced processing.

Accepted Answer

The ability to shift our attention around the environment and highlight important stimuli for enhanced processing is crucial for survival. This allows us to quickly respond to potential threats or opportunities in the environment, increasing our chances of survival and reproduction. The attentional spotlight can also help us filter out unwanted or irrelevant information, conserving valuable cognitive resources. Option A (equally focusing our attention on two or more stimuli) is not possible due to limitations in attentional capacity, and option B (covertly attending to one task while focusing on another) is an example of divided attention, rather than the attentional spotlight. Option C (fixing our attention on one stimuli) is also limiting and may not allow us to adapt to changes in the environment.

Question 11

The _______ likely evolved because it prevents reflexive attention from settling on unimportant stimuli for more than an instant, a reaction that would be adaptive in animals foraging for food and/or scanning for predators.
A) inhibition of return
B) point of no return
C) attentional bottleneck
D) reflexive bottleneck

Accepted Answer

Inhibition of return is a phenomenon in which the response to a previously attended location is inhibited or delayed. This likely evolved in animals foraging for food or scanning for predators, as it helps prevent reflexive attention from dwelling on unimportant stimuli for too long.

Question 12

The delay, measured in milliseconds, between presentation of a stimulus and an individual's response to it is called _______ time.
A) lag
B) gap
C) reaction
D) cuing

Accepted Answer

The delay between presentation of a stimulus and an individual's response to it is called reaction time. Options A, B, and D are related terms but do not specifically refer to this delay.

Question 13

Which cue will typically elicit the fastest reaction time to the target in the symbolic cuing task?
A) Invalid
B) Neutral
C) Valid
D) Colorful

Accepted Answer

The valid cue, which correctly indicates the location of the target, typically elicits the fastest reaction time as it allows for the most efficient and accurate processing of the target location.

Question 14

Which type of attention can be sustained over the longest period of time?
A) Voluntary
B) Reflexive
C) Nonconscious
D) Covert

Accepted Answer

Voluntary attention is under conscious control and can be maintained for longer periods of time compared to reflexive or nonconscious attention, which are typically more automatic and less controllable. Covert attention refers to directing attention to a specific location without moving the eyes, but this type of attention can also be voluntary or involuntary.

Question 15

The average reaction time in an uncomplicated choice reaction time test (i.e., the time it takes from the initial visual signal until the subject pushes the choice button) is approximately _______ ms.
A) 35
B) 110
C) 175
D) 250

Accepted Answer

The average reaction time in an uncomplicated choice reaction time test is approximately 250 milliseconds. This accounts for the time it takes for an individual to perceive a stimulus and respond to it with a specific action, such as pushing a button.

Question 16

Which of the following represents the correct sequence of the brain events that determine reaction time on a choice reaction time test?
A) Retina, LGN, V1, V2, V4, primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, prefrontal lobe, inferior temporal lobe, spinal cord, finger muscle
B) Retina, LGN, V1, V2, V4, inferior temporal lobe, premotor cortex, prefrontal cortex, primary motor cortex, spinal cord, finger muscle
C) Retina, LGN, V1, V2, V4, inferior temporal lobe, prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, primary motor cortex, spinal cord, finger muscle
D) Retina, LGN, V1, V2, V4, primary motor cortex, inferior temporal lobe, prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, spinal cord, finger muscle

Accepted Answer

The correct sequence of brain events that determine reaction time on a choice reaction time test is retina, LGN, V1, V2, V4, inferior temporal lobe, prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, primary motor cortex, spinal cord, finger muscle. This sequence starts with the visual input from the retina and progresses through several visual processing areas before reaching the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision making and response selection. The sequence then moves through the premotor cortex and primary motor cortex, which plan and execute the movement, respectively, and finally reaches the spinal cord and finger muscle, which carry out the movement. Option C correctly reflects this sequence.

Question 17

Reaction time is slower for the processing of complex versus simple stimuli because the processing of complex stimuli
A) causes breakdown of neural connections.
B) requires more blood flow through the circulatory system.
C) involvement of novel neural pathways.
D) participation of more brain pathways.

Accepted Answer

Complex stimuli require the participation of more brain pathways, which results in slower reaction times compared to simple stimuli that involve fewer pathways.

Question 18

Reflexive attention is
A) fairly easy to consciously repress.
B) based on conscious processing.
C) oriented on the basis of sensory events.
D) always followed by a period of voluntary attention directed at the same target.

Accepted Answer

Reflexive attention is automatically oriented towards salient sensory events, without conscious processing or voluntary control. Therefore, option C is the correct answer. The other options are incorrect because reflexive attention cannot be easily repressed, is not based on conscious processing, and does not always lead to voluntary attention towards the same target.

Question 19

You are at a train station and hear an extremely loud crash. You, and everyone else, immediately orient their attention to the location of the sound. This is an example of _______ attention.
A) voluntary
B) directed
C) reflexive
D) warning

Accepted Answer

Reflexive attention is an automatic, bottom-up response to sensory stimuli that captures our attention involuntarily, such as a loud noise. The other options (voluntary, directed, and warning) all imply a more intentional or conscious form of attention control, rather than an automatic response to a stimulus.

Question 20

In a symbolic cuing task, _______ attention is shown to enhance processing, reducing reaction time to the stimulus, and _______ cues decrease reaction time the most.
A) voluntary; neutral
B) voluntary; valid
C) reflexive; neutral
D) reflexive: valid

Accepted Answer

Voluntary attention enhances processing when a cue indicates where a stimulus is likely to appear, reducing reaction time. Valid cues, which accurately predict the location of the stimulus, decrease reaction time the most because they allow the participant to focus their attention more effectively.

Quiz 15: Attention and Higher Cognition

The overall level of alertness of an individual is called _, as distinguished from the process by which we select and focus on one or more stimuli, which is called _.

A person credited with having "eyes in the back of their head" more probably is skilled at

A viewer closely focused on a complex task, such as being asked to count how many times a group of people throw a ball back and forth, may miss other nonattended stimuli such as dancers moving through the group of people. This is due to an attentional phenomenon called

In early-selection models of attention, when is information filtered out?

Despite high levels of background noise, you are able to selectively tune in to what your friend is saying in a crowded cafe. This selective enhancement is referred to as the _______ effect.

The _______ bottleneck refers to a filter that results from the limits of our attentional capacity.

When we focus on simple tasks or objects, our relatively light _______ allows for the processing of additional stimuli (i.e., multi-tasking) .

Male frogs seeking mates vocalize among birds, insects, and the chorus of other species of frogs. That females are able to locate male frogs of their species among all the ambient noise provides an example of the _______ effect.

An example of the evolutionary significance of the attentional spotlight is the ability to

The _______ likely evolved because it prevents reflexive attention from settling on unimportant stimuli for more than an instant, a reaction that would be adaptive in animals foraging for food and/or scanning for predators.

The delay, measured in milliseconds, between presentation of a stimulus and an individual's response to it is called _______ time.

Which cue will typically elicit the fastest reaction time to the target in the symbolic cuing task?

Which type of attention can be sustained over the longest period of time?

The average reaction time in an uncomplicated choice reaction time test (i.e., the time it takes from the initial visual signal until the subject pushes the choice button) is approximately _______ ms.

Which of the following represents the correct sequence of the brain events that determine reaction time on a choice reaction time test?

Reaction time is slower for the processing of complex versus simple stimuli because the processing of complex stimuli

Reflexive attention is

You are at a train station and hear an extremely loud crash. You, and everyone else, immediately orient their attention to the location of the sound. This is an example of _______ attention.

In a symbolic cuing task, _ attention is shown to enhance processing, reducing reaction time to the stimulus, and _ cues decrease reaction time the most.