Processing sensory information as it comes in (e.g. flashing light, alarm) It is driven by salience.

Bottom-up Processing

Top-down processing is a perceptual process where the recognition of stimuli is guided by an individual's pre-existing knowledge, experiences, and expectations. This cognitive approach is typically goal-directed, slow, deliberate, and effortful, operating under conscious control to interpret incoming sensory information.

Top-Down Processing

Perceiving something as a unit vs. piece-by-piece to make sense of it (native vs. foreign language)

Unitization

-  Bottom-up processing
-  Top-down processing 
-  Unitization 

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

The process of consciously focusing on specific stimuli. Attention is a limited resource, but automatic processing allows us to use our limited attention on other stimuli while performing an automatic task.

Attention

- Selective attention
- Distractions
- Divided attention
- Attentional capacity
- Attentional capture
- Eye movement
- Stimulus salience
- Binding

Focuses of Research on Attention

Attention Process Mechanisms

There are several methodss used tp measure attention :

Attention Network Test (ANT)

Methods used to measure attention

There are three different components of attention:

Alerting

Orienting

Conflict Monitoring (Executive Attention)

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Related

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