Theories:- Bottleneck theorieso Broadbent’s theory- first real info processing theory, insight into human mind, behavior, emotion Info from world around us is used in combo with what is used in brain already, interaction of those that produce our thinking and responseso Is info processing being driven by internal or external?o Bottom up- driven from environment, datao Top down- driven from info already in system, theoryo It’s always both External world  sensory memory  all or none filter  long term memory (inside is working memory) Sensory memory- evidence that it exists, some idea of it’s function, once info is processed raw info is in the sensory memory for a very brief time, believe there is a sensory memory for each modality, visual lasts for .5 seconds, auditory lasts a little longer, info in it Working memory- some info is being actively used and processed, where cognitive work goes on, limited capacity Long term memory- includes working memory, memory flows in both directionso Amount of info available at any time is enormouso Need to block out info to not overwhelm the systemo Attention theorists say the system cannot handle this amount of informationo Attention is a mechanism for blocking out the information that we do not want to process at the timeo Broadbent proposed: there is a filter between sensory memory and long term memory, to protect the working memory from overloading, argues that the filter is all or none (either lets info through or doesn’t), tune the filter but can only do it on basis of information that’s in the system, can’t set filter to do with the meaning of what you want to process o Data used to test this theory is shadowing in a dichotic listening task 2 messages, 1 sent to each ear, same voice, diff topics Try to get person to focus on the message from 1 ear (Set filter) Gave subjects a shadowing task, subject must repeat aloud the message in one of the ears, as quickly and accurately as they can, completely black off ear you’re not supposed to be shadowing Can set filter right vs. left ear, can’t set filter “let through fairytale”, info in fairytale stream hasn’t been extracted yet, so can’t set the filter to be meaning According to this theory: info from shadowed ear will go through to long term memory, info from blocked ear will end at filter If memory tested afterward: should have good memory of shadowed ear, and virtually no memory at all from blocked off Subjects can remember content well from shadowed ear and none from blocked, as predicted Ask about specific words: shadowed words recognition is good, performance is a chance is blocked ear, this is pushed, what if repeat words twice? Three times? 50% performance rate Subject is aware of change in voice or to tone in unattended ear (different rhythm, tone, sensory characteristic, pitch) breaks concentration Subject is unaware of change in language or backward speech in unattended earo Treisman’s theoryo Late Selection- Capacity theorieso Attention as capacity limitation- pay attention to different things in the environment Draw metaphors to things that are similaro Automatic and controlled processeso Shiffrin & Schneider9/6/2012- Broadbent places this filter between the sensory memory and long/short term memory- Type of a class of theory known as bottleneck theorieso Proposes: the way you process info is by having a bottleneck or “filter” placed- Early selection theory: places filter early in processing, like Broadbent- Late selection theory: places filter later in the process, more processing goes on before it gets filtered- Cocktail party phenomenon- in a loud noisy environment, focus on mouth, concentrate on your one conversation, can hear your nameo Shows that meaning is extracted, the meaning is being accessed- Mcgurk effect- relationship between hearing and vision in speech perception,hear “pa”-- but see “ba”- Broadbent’s student- Anne Treisman expanded on this- Tresiman is very good at both theory and inventive experimentation- Treisman’s model:o External world  Sensory Memory  Attenuation Filter  Long/ working Memoryo Attenuation Filter- strength can be adjusted- How is the meaning of a word extracted? Logogen theory- Logogen: simple threshold unit, activation level increases, when threshold is reached- neuron fireso Each word is represented by a logogen, strong signal pushes word up beyond threshold and have meaning of wordo Weak signal coming through unattended ear, activation level is raised but not until threshold so meaning is not extractedo Threshold for your name is very low- Treisman’s experiment:o Shadow better if attending to meaning while doing the tasko Instant message switches attention smoothly switches to unattended ear, then switch back to shadow the attended ear (Broadbent thinks they will continue to smoothly shadow attended