As we navigate in the world around us, previous experience generally prepares us well to deal with most situations. Cognitive control is required in situations that do not afford a rapidly retrieved solution to a current problem. In the laboratory, cognitive control is usually studied in the context of distractor interference tasks with reaction time as the dependent measure. These studies investigate the ability to selective attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in space. However, we must also attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in time. A procedure used to study the temporal constraints of selective attention is the attentional blink (AB) task. Here, a modified AB task is utilized to investigate the memorial consequences of engaging in selective attention at one point in time, on the ability to encode new information presented shortly thereafter, with identification accuracy as the dependent measure. This new procedure enables the empirical investigation of the relationship between selective attention and memory processes that are generally studied in isolation.
The current research systematically investigated the relative contribution of intentional and automatic influences over selective attention in an AB task, by manipulating the context in which difficult T1 selection trials were presented. The results suggest that contextual influences of control over selective attention occur via a blend of intentional and automatic processes. Whereas intentional processes may be required to establish control settings in novel contexts, once established, control settings can be recruited automatically. These results extend current research on contextual control of selective attention to a novel domain, and consequently, provide insight into the underlying processes that produce the AB effect. Moreover, these results highlight the important role of context-specific learning in the study of cognitive control.
Abstract
As we navigate in the world around us, previous experience generally prepares us well to deal with most situations. Cognitive control is required in situations that do not afford a rapidly retrieved solution to a current problem. In the laboratory cognitive control is usually studied in the context of distractor interference tasks with reaction time as the dependent measure. These studies investigate the ability to selective attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in space. However, we must also attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in time. A procedure used to study the temporal constraints of selective attention is the attentional blink (AB) task. Here, a modified AB task is utilized to investigate the memorial consequences of engaging in selective attention at one point in time, on the ability to encode new information presented shortly thereafter, with identification accuracy as the dependent measure. This new procedure enables the empirical investigation of the relationship between selective attention and memory processes that are generally studied in isolation.
The current research systematically investigated the relative contribution of intentional and automatic influences over selective attention in an AB task, by manipulating the context in which difficult T1 selection trials were presented. The results suggest that contextual influences of control over selective attention occur via a blend of intentional and automatic processes. Whereas intentional processes may be required to establish control settings in novel contexts, once established, control settings can be recruited automatically. These results extend current research on contextual control of selective attention to a novel domain, and consequently, provide insight into the underlying processes that produce the AB effect. Moreover, these results highlight the important role of context-specific learning in the study of cognitive control.
Abstract
As we navigate in the world around us, previous experience generally prepares us well to deal with most situations. Cognitive control is required in situations that do not afford a rapidly retrieved solution to a current problem. In the laboratory cognitive control is usually studied in the context of distractor interference tasks with reaction time as the dependent measure. These studies investigate the ability to selective attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in space. However, we must also attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in time. A procedure used to study the temporal constraints of selective attention is the attentional blink (AB) task. Here, a modified AB task is utilized to investigate the memorial consequences of engaging in selective attention at one point in time, on the ability to encode new information presented shortly thereafter, with identification accuracy as the dependent measure. This new procedure enables the empirical investigation of the relationship between selective attention and memory processes that are generally studied in isolation.
The current research systematically investigated the relative contribution of intentional and automatic influences over selective attention in an AB task, by manipulating the context in which difficult T1 selection trials were presented. The results suggest that contextual influences of control over selective attention occur via a blend of intentional and automatic processes. Whereas intentional processes may be required to establish control settings in novel contexts, once established, control settings can be recruited automatically. These results extend current research on contextual control of selective attention to a novel domain, and consequently, provide insight into the underlying processes that produce the AB effect. Moreover, these results highlight the important role of context-specific learning in the study of cognitive control.
As we navigate in the world around us, previous experience generally prepares us well to deal with most situations. Cognitive control is required in situations that do not afford a rapidly retrieved solution to a current problem. In the laboratory cognitive control is usually studied in the context of distractor interference tasks with reaction time as the dependent measure. These studies investigate the ability to selective attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in space. However, we must also attend to relevant information presented amidst distraction in time. A procedure used to study the temporal constraints of selective attention is the attentional blink (AB) task. Here, a modified AB task is utilized to investigate the memorial consequences of engaging in selective attention at one point in time, on the ability to encode new information presented shortly thereafter, with identification accuracy as the dependent measure. This new procedure enables the empirical investigation of the relationship between selective attention and memory processes that are generally studied in isolation.
The current research systematically investigated the relative contribution of intentional and automatic influences over selective attention in an AB task, by manipulating the context in which difficult T1 selection trials were presented. The results suggest that contextual influences of control over selective attention occur via a blend of intentional and automatic processes. Whereas intentional processes may be required to establish control settings in novel contexts, once established, control settings can be recruited automatically. These results extend current research on contextual control of selective attention to a novel domain, and consequently, provide insight into the underlying processes that produce the AB effect. Moreover, these results highlight the important role of context-specific learning in the study of cognitive control. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Cognitive control refers to our ability to direct our actions in accordance with our goals. Traditionally, the construct of cognitive control was assumed to be synonymous with the construct of free will. In recent years, cognitive psychologists have questioned the volitional nature of cognitive control. Generally speaking, this thesis investigates the following question; to what extent is control over the allocation of our attentional resources governed by our conscious intentions, or, to what extent are such processes recruited automatically? The results suggest that controlled and automatic processes are not dichotomous in nature, but rather, contribute to performance interactively. While conscious intentions may play a role in the establishment of control procedures in novel contexts, once established these control procedures can be brought online automatically. Decisions regarding the need for effortful processing, given the current context, likely shape the construction of these automatized routines.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/20609 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | MacLellan, Ellen |
| Contributors | Milliken, Bruce, Shore, David, Psychology |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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