Lecture 12 - The Central Executive and Controlling Attention

Question 1

central executive

Answer 1

the “you” that’s controlling attention

used to respond or select tasks we’re involved in

the feeling of control

when you decide to do a task or inhibit a task that isn’t useful

Question 2

Does automaticity really require a consistent mapping?

• Hirst et al. (1980)

Answer 2

asked participants to performs two complex
tasks simultaneously.

(1) Read a short story while… (2) taking dictation.

• Both are cognitively demanding and carry a high load. Also, there is no consistent mapping since the story and dictation keep changing.

• With practice, participants could perform both tasks, and recall what happened in each. This suggested that load was reduced
and the tasks became (somewhat) automatic.

• claimed that participants got better at the
tasks by automatizing parts of them (reducing the attentional load)

Question 3

automaticity

Answer 3

through practice you make a task more load load or automatic

if you make something really easy to the point where it’s almost automatic is it still under your control? (fixed-action patterns)

Question 4

Hirst et al. (1980) claimed that participants got better at the
tasks by automatizing parts of them (reducing the attentional
load).

capacity

Answer 4

some set amount of capacity

individually each task could use up almost all of the capacity

after practice (automaticity) they both take up lower amounts of capacity - so they can share space in the attention

you make both tasks easier

Question 5

In a review, Pashler (1998) suggests that people work in bursts.

*capacity sharing?

Answer 5

The load may stay the same, but people in the above study may have gotten better at capacity sharing. They switch dynamically between tasks, working in bursts.

not lowering the load, but capacity sharing between the tasks

how much of one task vs. one task over time

never getting more capacity

just task switching: and get more efficient in that

Question 6

Logan’s (1988) instance theory of automaticity

Answer 6

suggests that consistent mappings (target or answer never changes) allow memory to take over tasks normally requiring attentional capacity. [No capacity sharing needed.]
- memory takes over for attention: memory does the work for you

• You can perform the task (using some attentional capacity) or pull the answer from memory (low load, possibly automatic).
• EX: What is 39 x 39? [this is an instance]
• The answer is always the same (1,521) – consistent mapping.
• If you practice this, it becomes easier to get the answer from memory rather than perform the calculation. = not changing the load, changing the way you solve the problem
• This is a race model

Question 7

race model

Answer 7

you try to perform the task AND recall the information from memory: the faster task (calculation vs. recall) wins.

you can have diff algorithms running in your brain, your brain can try and solve something in two ways, the first one to solve the problem “wins”

you go with the easiest solution (evolutionarily/neuro-computationally makes sense: save capacity for harder stuff)

Question 8

According to Logan’s instance theory of automaticity, a highly practiced task with consistent mapping should be

Answer 8

completed very quickly.

Note that automaticity doesn’t make the completion of the task involuntary. However, the speed of completion may make it hard to control.

• You would predict that automatized tasks may sometimes interfere with tasks that require more time to complete and the
responses are incongruent.

Question 9

Note that automaticity doesn’t make the completion of the task

Answer 9

involuntary.

However, the speed of completion may make it
hard to control.
- we do give up some control though, for automaticity

Question 10

Which takes you less time, reading a simple word aloud or naming a color aloud?

Answer 10

reading the word

In a race, the reading task always wins (more automatized). Therefore it will interfere with (delay) the color naming task. The color naming is slower, so
it doesn’t interfere with reading.

Question 11

In the classic Stroop effect (first described by J. R. Stroop in 1935)

Answer 11

two tasks actually occur you are asked to name the color, but it is presented embedded in an incongruent color term (e.g. green written in blue ink).

anytime you see something highly automatized you’re doing two tasks:

  * Task one: read the word: This is highly automatized and fast.
  * Task two: name the color. This is fairly easy, but not as easy as reading.

In a race, the reading task always wins. Therefore it will interfere with (delay) the color naming task. The color naming is slower, so
it doesn’t interfere with reading.

Question 12

In the Stroop task you need to

Answer 12

inhibit the more automatic response behavior and select the “name the color” task response.

Question 13

attention can be divided into many functions

Answer 13

focusing

perceptual enhancement

binding

sustaining behavior

action selection (central executive)

Question 14

Stroop effect is a measure of your

Answer 14

level of cognitive control

Question 15

focusing

Answer 15

Limiting the number of items being processed [channel selection].

Question 16

perceptual enhancement

Answer 16

– Increasing the processing of some specific channel information.

Question 17

binding

Answer 17

– The process by which features (shape, color, motion, etc.) are combined to form a coherent object perception.

Question 18

sustaining behavior

Answer 18

Maintaining an action in the presence of potential distractors

Question 19

action selection

Answer 19

central executive

Choosing an action to be performed from among a set of possibilities.

Question 20

how does the Stroop effect show up in those with ADHD

Answer 20

it’s larger

Question 21

The central executive metaphor is commonly used in attention and memory.

Answer 21

It is the “you” that directs your attention and selects specific actions.

• highly endogenous, voluntary: cognitive control

• It is responsible for shifts of attention to a desired task, and inhibition of irrelevant tasks (e.g. Stroop effect).
==> STARTS THE BEHAVIOR

• HIGHLY SERIAL PROCESS: You can only select one thing at a time, suggesting a
bottleneck.

Question 22

cognitive control

Answer 22

The endogenous selection of a task is thought to be voluntary and requires some degree of effort.

selecting or inhibiting certain actions given a set of possibilities

Question 23

But what about multitasking?

Answer 23

•You can’t really focus on two tasks simultaneously. Instead you are switching
between tasks.

• If two tasks use similar resources (e.g. talking on the phone and writing an email), you switch back and forth.
• Each time you do this, there is a switch cost

Question 24

switch

Answer 24

– a small time delay with both tasks.

a pause happens when you disengage one task and engage in another task

Question 25

effects in multimedia

Answer 25

• Heavy multimedia users are more susceptible to distractions and perform
worse on tests of task-switching ability when compared to light media users (Ophir et al., 2009). Additionally, the heavy media users overestimate their ability to multitask.

Question 26

How do we choose between two different tasks/ behaviors?

This is measured using the Psychological Refractory Period (PRP) task

Answer 26

Two simple tasks are performed close together in time.

 o Task 1: Listen for a tone. If low, press “a” with left hand. If high, press “d” with left hand.

 o Task 2: Watch for a letter on the screen. If X, press “j” with right hand. If Y press “l” with right hand.

• When Task 2 begins at the same time or immediately after Task 1, people are slower to respond to the letters than when presented alone.

• Processing and deciding on a response for task 1 (and inhibiting the other response) requires executive control and
takes time.

Question 27

How can we separate the effects of perceptual processing and
response selection (i.e. central control)?

The model for PRP by Pashler (1998) suggests:

Answer 27

bottleneck

start off: the task can start at the same time or the second task can start a little bit after the first

then decision: high or low tone? which finger?
- central control: initiate motor sequence

but while that’s going on you’re processing the letter that appeared

central control is working on that first task and once it’s done “what do i do with the other hand?”

delay happens after central control decides first task and as it’s decided the second task

Question 28

Central control always takes

Answer 28

a minimum, fixed amount of time.

Make a decision + switch tasks.

Question 29

Psychological Refractory Period

Answer 29

the mind or brain is still involved with task 1 and delays your ability to do task 2 (you’re a bit slower)

something in the processing, in deciding for task 1 is inhibiting other responses

Question 30

What happens if we make Task 1 harder (e.g. more sensory

processing required)?

Answer 30

Even though the second task took the same
amount of processing time, its response will be
delayed due to the bottleneck.

Question 31

Assume the first task is easy again. If you make the
second task (letter identification) harder, what does the
model predict will happen to the reaction time for that
second task?

Answer 31

bottleneck hasn’t moved so refractory period doesn’t change

Second task will take the same amount of time as
when both tasks were easy.

Question 32

What happens is we make Task 2 harder (e.g. more sensory

processing required)?

Answer 32

This shows that a bottleneck exists in central (executive) control, and is
not purely a function of sensory processing.