Introduction to Cognitive Psychology - Department of Psychological ...

Prof. Greg Francis 8/12/11Magic trick!! Hey, the card you selected is missing!! How did I know which card you would select?Attention as processing!! Mental effort either is or requires attention!! Consider the following video (Simons & Chabris, 1999)!! Try it on the web at http://members.tripod.com/~andybauch/magic.htmlPurdue University!! you will see twogroups of peoplewearing either blackor white shirts!! each group istossing around aball!! count how manypasses are madeby the white groupPurdue UniversityAttention as processing!! Did you notice an unusual event in the video?!! Let’s look at it again!! Attention is a powerful force!! when you are busy doing something else, you can failto observe even very significant things!! that’s why it is not a good idea to talk on a cell phonewhile driving a carDrawing attention!! Attention is focused by meaningful stimuli!! Also focused by certain stimulus characteristics,especially changes!! Flashes of light!! Movement!! Color!! Think of advertising signs!! ExamplePurdue UniversityPurdue UniversityDrawing attention!! Suppose these cues were masked by otherchanging stimuli!! You might not notice the change at all!! DemonstrationAttention!! Another way to interpret these results is thatattention is necessary to detect stimuluschanges!! Explains how people can “look” but not “see”!!walking into doors!!driving into trains!!detecting changes on a radar screen!!why magicians use flashes of light!Purdue UniversityPurdue UniversityPSY 200: Intro. to Cognitive Psychology 2