Exam 3: Attention and Executive Function

Question 1

Attention

Answer 1

The cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring others.

Question 2

Arousal

Answer 2

A state of physiological alertness and readiness for action.

Question 3

Consciousness

Answer 3

The state of being aware of and able to think about oneself and the environment.

Question 4

Vigilance

Answer 4

The ability to maintain attention and remain alert over prolonged periods of time.

Question 5

Selective Attention

Answer 5

Focusing cognitive resources on specific information while ignoring irrelevant information.

Question 6

Overt Attention

Answer 6

Attention that is aligned with the direction of sensory input (e.g., looking directly at an object).

Question 7

Covert Attention

Answer 7

Attention directed to something without moving the sensory receptors (e.g., eyes remain still).

Question 8

Endogenous Attention

Answer 8

Internally driven attention based on goals or expectations.

Question 9

Exogenous Attention

Answer 9

Attention that is automatically captured by a sudden or salient stimulus.

Question 10

Visual Search

Answer 10

A task requiring detection of a target among distractors, used to study attention mechanisms.

Question 11

Pop Out

Answer 11

The ability to detect a target stimulus that differs from distractors by a single feature.

Question 12

Conjunction Search

Answer 12

A visual search task requiring the combination of features to identify the target.

Question 13

Ascending Reticular Activation System (ARAS)

Answer 13

A brainstem system important for maintaining arousal and alertness.

Question 14

Superior Colliculus (SC)

Answer 14

A midbrain structure involved in eye movements and visual attention.

Question 15

Pulvinar

Answer 15

A thalamic region involved in filtering and directing attention to relevant stimuli.

Question 16

Default Mode Network (DMN)

Answer 16

A network active during rest and internal thought; often deactivated during tasks.

Question 17

Dorsal Attentional Network (DAN)

Answer 17

A brain network associated with top-down, goal-directed attention.

Question 18

Ventral Attentional Network (VAN)

Answer 18

A brain network that responds to unexpected or salient stimuli.

Question 19

Fusiform Face Area (FFA)

Answer 19

A region in the temporal lobe specialized for facial recognition.

Question 20

Parahippocampal Place Area (PPA)

Answer 20

A brain region involved in recognizing environmental scenes and spatial layouts.

Question 21

Inattentional Blindness

Answer 21

Failure to notice a visible but unexpected object when attention is focused elsewhere.

Question 22

Change Blindness

Answer 22

Failure to detect changes in a visual scene due to a lack of attention.

Question 23

Early Selection

Answer 23

A model suggesting attention filters information early in processing before meaning is analyzed.

Question 24

Dichotomous Listening

Answer 24

A task in which different audio messages are presented to each ear to study selective attention.

Question 25

Late Selection

Answer 25

A model suggesting that all inputs are processed for meaning before attention is applied.

Question 26

Cocktail Party Effect

Answer 26

The ability to focus on one conversation despite the presence of many others.

Question 27

Perceptual Load Theory

Answer 27

A theory that suggests attentional resources are limited and tasks with high perceptual load consume more resources.

Question 28

Saccade

Answer 28

A rapid movement of the eye between fixation points.

Question 29

Premotor Theory of Attention

Answer 29

The idea that shifts in attention are driven by the preparation of motor actions.

Question 30

Motor Field

Answer 30

The area in space that a motor plan is directed toward.

Question 31

Spatial Neglect

Answer 31

A condition where patients fail to attend to one side of space, usually following right parietal damage.

Question 32

Extinction

Answer 32

Failure to respond to stimuli on one side when presented simultaneously with stimuli on the other side.

Question 33

Hemianopia

Answer 33

Loss of vision in half of the visual field due to damage to the visual pathway.

Question 34

Anosagnosia

Answer 34

Lack of awareness or denial of a neurological deficit.

Question 35

Representational Neglect

Answer 35

A form of neglect involving failure to attend to the left side of mental images.

Question 36

Object-Based Neglect

Answer 36

A type of neglect where attention fails to select one of multiple objects in space.

Question 37

Executive Function

Answer 37

Higher-order cognitive processes including planning, decision-making, and behavioral regulation.

Question 38

Task Switching

Answer 38

The ability to shift attention between different tasks or mental sets.

Question 39

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)

Answer 39

A neuropsychological test assessing cognitive flexibility through changing rules.

Question 40

Tower Of London (TOL)

Answer 40

A test of planning and problem solving where participants move disks to match a goal configuration.

Question 41

Inhibitory Control

Answer 41

The ability to suppress inappropriate or unwanted responses.

Question 42

Stroop Task

Answer 42

A task where participants must name the color of the word rather than the word itself, testing inhibition.

Question 43

Go/No-Go Task

Answer 43

A task requiring response inhibition to certain stimuli while responding to others.

Question 44

Working Memory

Answer 44

The capacity to hold and manipulate information over short periods of time.

Question 45

Self-Monitoring

Answer 45

Monitoring one's own performance and adjusting behavior accordingly.

Question 46

Flanker Task

Answer 46

A task requiring responses to target stimuli while ignoring flanking distractors.

Question 47

Prefrontal Cortex

Answer 47

A brain region essential for complex behavior, decision-making, and social functioning.

Question 48

Lateral Prefrontal Cortex

Answer 48

Involved in goal setting, planning, and execution of behavior.

Question 49

Orbital Frontal Cortex and Frontal Pole

Answer 49

Associated with emotional regulation, reward evaluation, and social behavior.

Question 50

Medial Prefrontal Cortex

Answer 50

Plays a role in motivation, social cognition, and self-referential thought.

Question 51

Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Answer 51

Involved in conflict monitoring, error detection, and regulation of attention.

Question 52

Phineas Gage

Answer 52

A famous case of frontal lobe damage that led to profound changes in personality and behavior.

Question 53

Schizophrenia

Answer 53

A psychiatric disorder involving disruptions in thought, perception, and attention.

Question 54

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Answer 54

A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.