| Glossary |
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| Action slips |
Performing unintended actions, particularly during automatic processes |
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| cell content |
cell content |
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| Automatic processing |
Processing that does not require any focused attention |
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| Bottom-up processing |
Pattern recognition based on features of the stimulus |
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| Closed loop |
Slow processing involving conscious and deliberate attention for learning and switching tasks |
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| Configuration |
Arrangement of features with respect to each other |
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| Controlled processing |
Processing that requires focused attention |
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| Dichotic listening task |
Method for investigating focused attention involving listening to two messages simultaneously |
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| Divided attention |
Attending to more than one stimulus simultaneously |
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| Feature detection model |
Pattern recognition based breaking down the stimulus into its component features |
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| Feature detectors |
Cells in the visual cortex that respond to lines or edges |
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| Focused attention |
Ability to selectively attend to some information stimuli whilst ignoring the rest |
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| Galvanic skin response |
Changes in skin resistance in response to changes in arousal |
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| Identikit |
Drawings of facial features combined to construct a face |
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| Open loop |
Fast processing involving no attentional control for well practised tasks |
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| Parallel processing |
Ability to process more than one stimulus simultaneously |
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| Pattern recognition |
Making sense of and identifying perceived objects |
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| Perception |
Process of making sensory inputs meaningful |
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| Schemata |
Memory sets for whole processes, things and events |
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| Serial processing |
Focusing attention on one stimulus at a time |
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| Shadowing |
Repetition of a message during a dichotic listening task |
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| Split-span procedure |
Method for investigating focused attention involving listening to different information in each ear and writing it down |
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| Stroop effect |
Demonstration of how automatic processes can interfere with tasks requiring controlled processing |
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| Template matching hypothesis |
Incoming stimuli are compared with templates in the long term memory |
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| Threshold level of intensity |
According to Triesman, this is reached if an attenuated channel is selected for attention |
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| Top-down processing |
Expectations and knowledge of a particular context influence the perception of patterns |