That’s why we rely on selective attention to help us attend to important things in the environment.
How Does Selective Attention Work?
At any given moment, we are subjected to a constant barrage of sensory information.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
But in most cases, we don’t pay attention to each and every one of thesesensory experiences.
So how exactly do we decide what to pay attention to and what to ignore?
Imagine that you are at a party for a friend hosted at a bustling restaurant.
Multiple conversations, the clinking of plates and forks, and many other sounds compete for your attention.
How do you manage to ignore certain stimuli and concentrate on just one aspect of your environment?
This is an example of selective attention.
That means we focus on some things, while simultaneously ignoring others.
How Selective Visual Attention Works
There are two major models describing how visual attention works.
In these experiments, two auditory messages were presented simultaneously with one presented to each ear.
Cherry’s findings have been demonstrated in additional experiments.
Other researchers have obtained similar results with messages including lists of words and musical melodies.
Broadbent’s Filter Model
One of the earliest theories of attention was Donald Broadbent’s filter model.
Building on the research conducted by Cherry, Broadbent used an information-processing metaphor to describe human attention.
To do this, we utilize a filter to determine which information to attend to.
All stimuli are first processed based on physical properties, including color, loudness, direction, and pitch.
Our selective filters then allow certain stimuli to pass through for further processing while other stimuli are rejected.
The “volume” or intensity of thoseother stimulimight be low, but they are still present.
The cocktail party effect serves as a prime example.
Imagine that you are at a party and paying attention to the conversation among your group of friends.
Suddenly, you hear your name mentioned by a group of people nearby.
Information that we attend to based upon meaning is then passed intoshort-term memory.
While no single theory serves as an all-encompassing explanation, each does seem to explain different aspects of attention.
Factors That Influence Selective Attention
Several factors can influence selective attention.
The location from where the sound originates can play a role.
For example, presenting messages to different ears will not lead to selecting one message over the other.
As mentioned previously, changes in pitch can also play a role in selectivity.
Imagine that you are in a crowded room, and many different conversations are taking place all around you.
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