Also known as the symbolic cuing task, in this participants stare at a fixation point in the center of a computer screen and must press a key as soon as they see a specific target stimulus; the response being measured is reaction time. Each trial is preceded by a cue that gives the participant a hint as to where the stimulus will appear.

Posner Cuing Task

Sustained attention is involved when a single stimulus source or location must be held in the attentional spotlight for a protracted period. 

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- Top-Down Attention
- Bottom-Up Attention
- Overt Attention
- Covert Attention
- Sustained Attention
- Voluntary Attention
- Involuntary Attention

Types of Attention

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

Top-down attention is when we consciously mediate that which we focus on. A good example of this would be studying. 

Top-Down Attention

Overt attention refers to the directing of our senses and our attention toward the same target. For example, upon noticing a star in our peripheral vision, if we direct our eyes towards the star (as well as our attention), we would be directing our overt attention towards the star.

Overt Attention

Covert attention refers to directing our attention towards a target, but not our senses. For example, our ability to keep our eyes fixed on one location while "secretly" scrutinizing some other location in our peripheral vision involves covert attention. 

Covert Attention

Sustained Attention

Also called consciously or endogenously controlled attention, voluntary shifts of attention come from within; they are the conscious, top-down directing of attention toward specific aspects of the environment, according to our interests and goals.

Voluntary Attention

Involuntary attention, also called reflexive or exogenously controlled attention, is the involuntary reorientation toward a sudden or important event. Loud noise or sudden silence, flashes, moving objects - any striking or important change - can potentially capture attention without cognitive effort. 

Involuntary Attention

Bottom-up attention, also known as attentional capture, is an involuntary shift of focus triggered by a prominent stimulus from the environment. For example, if you are concentrating on a conversation in a noisy restaurant, the sudden and loud crash of a dropped tray will likely break through your attentional filters and grab your focus. This response is considered bottom-up because it is driven directly by the external sensory event rather than by internal goals or expectations.

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