Describe and Discuss One or More Explanations of Divided Attention

Cognitive revolution provided information-processing approach as a new way of mind study. Introduction of digital computers, devices of processing information, inspired many psychologists who began to view mind in the basis of information processing. The ability of computers to process information in stages captured the attention of many cognitive psychologists. By understanding that information in a computer as it is first received by input processor, then storage in memory unit follows, and lastly processing in arithmetic unit, many cognitive psychologists experimented and applied this layout. For instance, Goldstein (2007) shows that Cherry, a psychologist, experimented on attention where he presented two different messages at a go to people and later told them to repeat the messages. He realized that people pay attention to one message among many. He also deduced that the amount of information dealt with have limits. In addition, Broadbent, also a cognitive psychologist, came up with a flow diagram that represented occurrence of events in one’s mind as attention is directed to a single environmental stimulus.

Multitasking, helpful or harmful? In Alina Tugend’s “Multitasking Can Make You Lose…Um…Focus”, Tugend explores multitasking in several ways. Explaining how we as humans sacrifice focus “shifting focus from task to task gives illusion that we’re simultaneously tasking”. Also, how our brains react to operating and trying to do more than one task at once. Only one or two visual stimulants can activate our neurons at one particular time. Lastly, how we can recreate boundaries and cope with everyday life and multitasking. Tugend reiterates several times the importance of one task at a time so we as humans can effectively complete tasks to the best of our abilities instead of giving partial focus and not efficiently completely a task. Multitasking is very beneficial at times, but more often there are significant downfalls; it is crucial we learn how to manage the downfalls of juggling tasks, events, conversations, and daily events.

Attention is thought to be selective-focused on one subject at a time. Traditionally, it has been assumed that automatic processing is involuntary, it does not require attention, and is relatively fast; whereas, controlled processing is voluntary, does require attention, and is relatively slow. We can conclude from this that the more we repeat a certain material or tasks the more it becomes automatic and effortless to us.

Multitasking can be characterized as the endeavor to perform at least two errands at the same time; in any case, inquire about demonstrates that when multitasking, individuals commit more errors or play out their undertakings all the more gradually. Consideration must be separated among the greater part of the segment assignments to perform them. In partitioned attention,individuals go to or offer regard for various wellsprings of data on the double in the meantime or perform more than one errand.

In this experiment we tried to replicate the Monsell 2003 Task Switching experiment. 18 Participants took a brief task-switching test via program Revolution Maker©. Each trial was randomly assigned. The participants were presented with numbers one through nine and on each trial had to react to the number, to identify either its odd or even or if the magnitude was either less than 5 or more than 5. We hypothesis that when individuals are engaged in a cognitive task there is a time cost that occurs when asked to switch between tasks as opposed to repeating tasks.

Technology has allowed us to create systems that could do tasks first at a faster rate than at a faster rate than humans. For example, when the stopwatch was created, a factory manager, Frederick Winslow Taylor, used the stopwatch to time all of his workers and how long the process took to manufacture an item in the assembly line. Using this information, he maximized his output by putting workers in their optimal position, running strict time, and changing the order of steps to create the final product. All though his workers complained, it was very successful. Now, instead of workers on the belt, it is all automated and extremely efficient (Carr, 6). In addition to factory process, it has become a common action to multi-task: whether that be listening to music and doing homework to running on a treadmill while channel surfing. Ms. Bates explains how she couldn’t spend 55 minutes on the elliptical machine without “lots of things to do.” “I switch constantly,” she said. “I can’t stand commercials. I have to flip around unless I’m watching ‘Project Runway’ or something I’m really into” (Ritchel 4). This mentality, both inside and outside the office, is from a desire to do numerous things at once which is not good for our brains; not as much effort is put into one task so it’s nearly impossible to get the best results. There are situations where I find myself listening and watching

The clumping together of knowledge, growing low attention span, and separation of focus has not only made it harder to avoid distraction, but it also has resulted in less efficient work and performance. It was discovered in a study that when the participants were told to switch between solving math problems and classifying geometric objects, it took longer for them to solve each problem. As the tasks got progressively more complex and difficult, it took a significantly longer time for the participants to complete the assignment, especially those who were unfamiliar with the subject (Rubinstein). This revelation is particularly

In Hyper and Deep Attention: The Generational Divide in Cognitive Modes by N. Katherine Hayles, focuses on the effects that bring with advanced technology. In Hayles article she explains the various ways on how people are thinking has technology advances. Hayles goes on to differentiate in those who can stay focused on one subject for a long period of time, and for those who have a more ‘hyper attention’ who need to switch in different types of tasks so they don't get as bored easily. Hayles continues to explain that as technology progresses, the more our brains will want to re-wire themselves to become more ‘hyper attentive’. When one is ‘hyper attentive’ they seem to prefer multiple tasks and multiple amounts of information because these people seem to want a more high level of

It has been well established that human attention does not accommodate multitasking. The “cocktail party effect” described by Dr. Adam Gazzaley shows that true multitasking is impossible: during a cocktail party, someone can listen to a conversation while shifting their attention to look at another individual having a different conversation but can only notice minor details about the other conversation, such as the sound of their name (Richtel, 62). In addition, the possibility that a person can focus on two different things at once is further diminished by how the two main forms of human attention, bottom-up and top-down, function. Top-down attention is involved in focusing on goals and tasks like writing a paper, making a meal, or driving; on the other hand, bottom-up attention is what causes someone’s attention to focus on something instantly, such as the sounding of a fire alarm or a sound from a cell phone (Richtel, 105-6). This means that a driver’s focus (top-down attention) can be taken completely off the road by a vibration or noise that comes from their cell phone’s capturing their bottom-up attention.

The OED defines multitasking as dealing with more than one task at the same time. The brain, in order to multitask, must receive both actions being performed, and dilute the information before processing. In order to read and listen to something at the same time, for an example, the brain must take the information being read by the eyes and the pulses coming from the ears, and reduce the frequency to keep both tasks going efficiently.

Doing difficult tasks at the same time can overwhelm our brain’s ability to process information, hurting the quality of our work. The author explains that “when we attempt demanding tasks simultaneously, we end up doing neither as well as we should because our brains have cognitive limits”. I think what the author means by cognitive means the brain’s process of thinking. What the author is trying to tell us, then, is that when we do too many things at once, our brain reaches its limit in its capacity to think and learn. When we multitask, our ability to learn, to understand, and to remember all get affected. We reach a point where our brain, literally, cannot keep going. That’s why knowing and studying the effects of multitasking are

Eight years ago, in 2007, Cynthia Stafford was a 53-year-old software account executive living in California. She had a good life, but she imagined it could be so much better.

Studying is something that students have to do on some level almost constantly throughout their lives. They study to learn concepts and hopefully retain their observational inferences for as long as possible when the information is deemed important. Many objects and materials have meaning, so having the capability to differentiate between an attended message and an unattended one can mean that a person can accomplish the goal of learning with minimal effort. Some people have done research which suggests that different inputs can be differentiated spacially in order to divide attentional commitment (Banbury et al.) It would be exhausting to have a photographic memory with the capability to retain the knowledge value of everything that one

Compare and contrast early vs late selection models of attention. How well do they explain how we selectively attend to information?

Research carried out on attention has mainly been associated with the selective processing of incoming sensory information. It proposes, to some degree, our awareness of the world depends on what we choose to focus on and not simply the stimulation received by our senses. Attention is often linked to a filter that screens out most potential stimuli whilst allowing a select few to pass through into our conscious awareness, however, a great deal of debate has been devoted to where the filter is situated in the information processing chain (Martindale, 1991). Psychologists have made extensive contributions to this subject matter in the past century. Notable examples include Donald Broadbent's filter theory of attention (1958), which set the