1. Attention as a Limited Capacity Resource
Chapter 9
Attention as a
Limited Capacity Resource
Concept: Preparation for and performance of motor skills are influenced by our limited capacity to select and attend to information
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Defining “Attention”
Attention refers to characteristics associated with
______________________
_______________________
When related to the performance of skills, particular reference to the limitations associated with those characteristics on the
Simultaneous performance of multiple skills
_____________________________________
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3. __________________________________________________________________
When we simultaneously perform multiple tasks (e.g. driving a car, listening to a CD, and talking with a passenger), we sometimes
experience no difficulties in performing all the tasks, but
cannot do all the tasks as well as we would like
WHY?
Answer relates to “attention” as a performance limiting factor
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Attention Theories
___________________________________
Difficulty doing multiple tasks simultaneously because of limitation due to inability to serially process multiple stimuli [see Fig. 9.1]
______________________________________________________________________
Difficulty doing multiple tasks simultaneously because of limitation due to availability of resources needed to carry out tasks
i.e., ______________________________________
Simultaneous successful performance of multiple tasks can occur when resource capacity limits not exceeded
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5. Attention Theories, cont’d
___________________________________
Propose one central (i.e., CNS) source of attention resources for which all activities requiring attention compete
See Figure 9.2
____________________________: An Example of a Central Resource Capacity Theory
_____________________________________
Proposed flexible attention capacity limits
See Figure 9.3
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6. Kahneman’s Attention Theory, cont’d
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Amount of attention resources available (i.e. capacity) varies in relation to a person’s arousal level
Maximum amount available only when arousal level is optimal for the situation
Related to inverted-U function of arousal – performance relationship
______________________________________________________________________________
Critical factor for determining whether sufficient attention resources available – given capacity limits set by arousal level
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7. Kahneman’s Attention Theory, cont’d
3 “rules” people use to allocate attention resources when performing multiple tasks
___________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Novel for the situation
Meaningfulness of the event (e.g., “cocktail party phenomenon”)
____________________________________
Allocate attention according to instructions
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8. __________________________________
Alternative to theories proposing one central resource
Propose that we have several sources for attention
Each source has a limited capacity of resources
The multiple sources based on specific information processing component
______________________(e.g. visual, proprioceptive)
______________________(e.g. verbal, motor)
_______________________(e.g. spatial, verbal)
Performance of simultaneous multiple tasks depends on competition for attention resources within and between the multiple sources
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9. __________________________________________________________________
Dual-task procedure
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________
Secondary task performance is the basis to make inferences about the attention demands of the primary task
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Focusing Attention
Attentional focus
________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________
Focus can be broad or narrow
Focus can be external or internal
__________________________
The changing of attentional focus characteristics in a performance situation
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11. Focusing Attention on Movements vs. Movement Effects
Concern here is the direction of attentional focus – _____________
___________________________
Action effect hypothesis (Prinz, 1997)
Proposed benefit of external focus during performance
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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12. Attention and Automaticity
__________________________________
___________________________________
In Kahneman’s theory, relates to evaluation of task demands
___________________________________________________________________
Neural components associated with automaticity for motor skill performance
e,g, Poldrack (2005) fMRI based research
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13. _________________________________
The 2nd aspect of the study of attention as it relates to motor skills performance:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Referred to as visual selective attention
Visual search is the process of directing visual attention to locate relevant information (i.e., cues) in the environment
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14. Visual Selective Attention, cont’d
__________________________________
Commonly used technique to investigate visual selective attention
What a person is visually attending to inferred from “point of gaze” (i.e., locus of central vision)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the relationship between eye movements and visual selective attention?
Does what a person is “looking at” (i.e., point of gaze) indicate where visual selective attention is directed?
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15. Visual Selective Attention, cont’d
2 answers:
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Remember, eye-movement recordings track central not peripheral vision
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16. How We Select Visual Cues?
________________________________
An active search for “regulatory” conditions based on action goal
e.g. Bekkering & Neggers (2002) showed different visual search patterns for action goals of picking up an object and grasping the object
__________________________________
Initial search based on specific features (e.g., color, shape)
Direct “attentional spotlight” on environment (wide or narrow focus)
features of interest “pop out”
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17. Visual Search and Action Preparation
Visual search picks up cues that influence 3 aspects of action preparation
_________________________
__________________________________
_________________________________
Note how these three preparation processes influenced by visual search in
Open motor skills
Closed motor skills
See examples in the textbook
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18. Training Visual Search Strategies
To what degree is successful visual search determined by visual acuity?
Research suggests very little relationship
Visual search success is based on experience in specific performance situations
Success often results from learning relevant visual cues without conscious awareness of them (i.e., implicit learning)
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