Title Module 1 (c) Attention (incomplete) .pdf ✅

7/10/25 1 Attention 1 Attention • Attention is the means by which we actively process a limited amount of information from the enormous amount of information available through our senses, our stored memories, and our other cognitive processes • It is both a conscious and unconscious process • Attention allows us to use our limited resources judiciously – creating a heightened awareness – leading to speedy response and memory 3

7/10/25 3 Signal detection and Vigilance 7 8
7/10/25 4 SIGNAL DETECT FAIL TO DETECT PRESENT HITS MISS ABSENT FALSE ALARM CORRECT REJECTION Signal detection: Finding important stimuli in a crowd SIGNAL DETECTION THEORY :A framework to explain how people pick out the few important stimuli when they are embedded in a wealth of irrelevant, distracting stimuli. SDT often is used to measure sensitivity to a target’s presence. Detection judgments based on inconclusive information with some criteria for target detections. 01 The no. of hits is influenced by where you place the criteria for considering something a hit. 02 Overall sensitivity to targets must reflect a flexible criterion for declaring the detection of a signal. 03 Sensitivity= Hits - false alarms. 04 Role in attention, perception and memory 05 9 Vigilance: Waiting to detect a signal Context: Stimulus occurs rarely, but requires immediate attention after occurrence Factors influencing performance on vigilance tasks : • Over time - fail to report the presence of a stimulus (more misses, fewer false alarms) • Training can increase vigilance, rest breaks reduce fatigue • Expected stimulus location strongly affects response efficiency • Abrupt stimulus onset is attention grabbing Vigilance refers to a person's ability to attend to a field of stimulation over a prolonged period, during which the person seeks to detect the appearance of a particular target stimulus of interest. (e.g. military and high-stakes vigilance tasks) 10