Processing Visual Information from Unattended Locations

9512089希夫林注意力指的是我们用来分配稀缺的精神资源来应对认知系统上的许多需求的手段。现在已经确定，对到来的刺激施加注意力可以改善对该材料的感知和记忆。这项研究将探索相反的情况：当尽可能多的注意力分配到一个传入信息来源时，其他到达的信息是否会得到任何处理？答案目前尚不清楚，但对认知论具有至关重要的意义。答案还将提供为具有认知和运动成分的任务设计训练计划所需的关键信息。这项研究将在视觉系统内探索这一问题。若干字母将以圆形阵列同时简短地呈现。在介绍之前，注意将被引导到阵列中的一个位置。由于计时不能进行眼动，注意力的移动将是内部的。控制条件将用于验证是否将尽可能多的注意力引导到提示位置。大多数决定都是关于出现在提示位置的字母，但偶尔会要求受试者对出现在远处的字母做出一些简单的决定。这项研究将会问，这样的决定的准确性是否比纯粹的猜测预测的准确性更高。自动处理理论要求无人值守的信息接受处理，但到目前为止，由于一些关键缺陷，研究并未提供所需的证据。这一系列研究旨在提供明确的答案。它还将询问在这种无人值守的条件下处理哪些类型的信息。该研究项目的一个重要特征将是开发一个关于注意力、自动处理及其关系的数学/模拟模型，扩展研究人员实验室中已经开展的研究。***

9512089 SHIFFRIN Attention refers to the means we use to allocate scarce mental resources to deal with the many demands upon our cognitive systems. It is now well established that attention applied to incoming stimuli improves perception and memory for that material. This research will explore the converse: When as much attention as possible is allocated to one source of incoming information, does other arriving information receive any processing whatever? The answer is not presently known, but has critical import for theories of cognition. The answer also will provide crucial information needed to design training programs for tasks with cognitive and motor components. The research will explore this issue within the visual system. A number of letters will be presented briefly and simultaneously in a circular array. Prior to presentation, attention will be directed to one position in the array. Since timing will be such that eyemovements cannot be made, movement of attention will be internal. Control conditions will be used to verify that as much attention as possible is directed to the cued position. Most decisions will be made about the letter presented at the cued location, but occasionally the subject will be asked to make some simple decision about the letter presented at a distant location. The research will ask whether the accuracy of such decisions is greater than what would be predicted from pure guessing. Theories of automatic processing mandate that unattended information receives processing, but research to date, because of some critical flaws, does not provide the needed evidence. This series of studies is designed to provide definitive answers. It will also ask what types of information get processed in such unattended conditions. An important feature of the research project will be the development of a mathematical/simulation model of attention, automatic processing, and their relationship, extending research that has already b egun in the investigators' laboratories. ***