Selective and Sustained Attention¶
Scope: Attention networks (alerting, orienting, executive attention); selective attention; sustained attention; attention shifting; attentional capture; divided attention; feature-based attention; object-based attention; spatial attention; temporal attention.
Out of scope: Attention as an umbrella; alertness as a trait; arousal as a physiological state.
Note
Open issues: Sustained attention ≡ vigilance when operationalized as a continuous-performance measure; treated as synonymous in the current row definition. If vigilance-as-trait ever needs representation, it would live outside this category.
This category contains 11 processes.
Alerting¶
Process ID: hed_alerting
Achieving and maintaining a state of readiness to respond, whether tonic or phasic; one of Posner’s three attentional networks.
Tasks that engage this process: Attention Network Task, Continuous Performance Task, Psychomotor Vigilance Task
Fundamental references
Posner & Boies (1971) Psychological Review 78:391–408 (DOI)
Fan, McCandliss, Sommer, Raz & Posner (2002) Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 14:340–347 (DOI)
Further references
Petersen & Posner (2012) Annual Review of Neuroscience 35:73–89 (DOI)
Attention shifting¶
Process ID: hed_attention_shifting
Reorienting of attention from one location, feature, or object to another, indexed by cost in RT or accuracy.
Tasks that engage this process: Posner Spatial Cueing Task
Fundamental references
Posner, Walker, Friedrich & Rafal (1984) Journal of Neuroscience 4:1863–1874 (DOI)
Further references
Attentional capture¶
Process ID: hed_attentional_capture
Involuntary shift of attention to a salient stimulus that is not the current target of task-directed attention.
Tasks that engage this process: Dot-Probe Task, Emotional Stroop Task, Oddball Task, Posner Spatial Cueing Task
Fundamental references
Yantis & Jonides (1984) JEP: Human Perception and Performance 10:601–621 (DOI)
Theeuwes (1992) Perception & Psychophysics 51:599–606 (DOI, PubMed)
Further references
Divided attention¶
Process ID: hed_divided_attention
Concurrent processing of two or more streams of information or two tasks, typically yielding dual-task interference.
Tasks that engage this process: Multiple Object Tracking Task, Operation Span Task, Psychological Refractory Period Task, Useful Field of View Task
Fundamental references
Pashler (1994) Psychological Bulletin 116:220–244 (DOI)
Further references
Feature-based attention¶
Process ID: hed_feature_based_attention
Selection of a specific visual feature (e.g., a color, orientation, or motion direction) that enhances processing of that feature throughout the visual field.
Tasks that engage this process: Visual Search Task
Fundamental references
Object-based attention¶
Process ID: hed_object_based_attention
Selection of an object as a unit of attention such that the attended features belonging to the object are processed together.
Tasks that engage this process: Multiple Object Tracking Task, Visual Search Task
Fundamental references
Duncan (1984) Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 113:501–517 (DOI)
Further references
Orienting¶
Process ID: hed_orienting
Selection of information from sensory input, typically in space, by covert or overt shifts of attention; one of Posner’s three attentional networks.
Tasks that engage this process: Attention Network Task, Dot-Probe Task, Posner Spatial Cueing Task
Fundamental references
Posner (1980) Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 32:3–25 (DOI)
Further references
Selective attention¶
Process ID: hed_selective_attention
Prioritized processing of a task-relevant subset of stimuli (a location, feature, object, or modality) with suppression of irrelevant stimuli.
Tasks that engage this process: Affective Picture Viewing Task, Attention Network Task, Auditory Masking Task, Change Detection Task, Contextual Cueing Task, Continuous Performance Task, Digit Symbol Substitution Task, Dot-Probe Task, Emotional Stroop Task, Eriksen Flanker Task, Go/No-Go Task, Multiple Object Tracking Task, Navon Task, Oddball Task, Posner Spatial Cueing Task, Random Dot Kinematogram Task, Rapid Serial Visual Presentation Task, Simon Task, Stroop Color-Word Task, Trail Making Task, Useful Field of View Task, Visual Search Task
Fundamental references
Treisman (1969) Psychological Review 76:282–299 (DOI)
Further references
Chun, Golomb & Turk-Browne (2011) Annual Review of Psychology 62:73–101 (DOI)
Spatial attention¶
Process ID: hed_spatial_attention
Selection of a location in space for preferential sensory processing, measurable via cueing benefits and N2pc/P1 modulation.
Tasks that engage this process: Contextual Cueing Task, Dot-Probe Task, Posner Spatial Cueing Task, Useful Field of View Task, Visual Search Task
Fundamental references
Posner (1980) Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 32:3–25 (DOI)
Eriksen & St. James (1986) Perception & Psychophysics 40:225–240 (DOI, PubMed)
Further references
Sustained attention¶
Process ID: hed_sustained_attention
Also known as: Vigilance - Synonymous when operationalized as a continuous-performance measure.; Vigilant attention - Robertson et al. tradition; emphasizes attention maintenance during monotonous, low-stimulation tasks.
Maintenance of attentional engagement over extended intervals during which targets are rare or responses are repetitive; synonymous with vigilance.
Tasks that engage this process: Continuous Performance Task, Go/No-Go Task, Multiple Object Tracking Task, Oddball Task, Psychomotor Vigilance Task, Rapid Serial Visual Presentation Task, Sustained Attention to Response Task, Useful Field of View Task
Fundamental references
Mackworth (1948) Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 1:6–21 (DOI)
Parasuraman (1979) Science 205:924–927 (DOI)
Further references
Temporal attention¶
Process ID: hed_temporal_attention
Selection of a point in time for preferential processing, measurable via cueing benefits in time and the attentional blink.
Tasks that engage this process: Oddball Task, Rapid Serial Visual Presentation Task
Fundamental references
Raymond, Shapiro & Arnell (1992) JEP: Human Perception and Performance 18:849–860 (DOI)
Further references
Nobre & van Ede (2018) Nature Reviews Neuroscience 19:34–48 (DOI)