Perception and Attention

Code:

P729

Acronym:

PA

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Psychology

Instance: 2011/2012 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master Psychology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIPSI	61	Official Curricular Structure 2007/2008	2	-	3	30	81
			3
			4

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The aim of these classes is to present and discuss the perception and attention theories and models.

Besides the theoretical framework, the methodologies of empirical investigation of perception and attention in the domain of experimental cognitive psychology will also be presented, as well as the their implications and applications in multiple domains (cognitive ergonomics, development of human-machine interfaces, marketing, design, painting, cinema and other forms of art).

This discipline aims to allow the students to understand the lectured themes of attention and perception and to describe the most representative theories and their theoretical and practical implications (for example, publicity and marketing, road safety, school learning, psychopathology, etc.)

Program

INTRODUCTION:
1. General concepts of Perception and Attention.
2. The problem of detection and measurement of sensation; Psychophysics methods and Signal Detection Theory.

PERCEPTION
1. Visual perception. Basic phenomena: Identification and localization of objects; Colour; Orientation; Movement and shape; The perceptual binding; The perception of depth.
1.1. Perception theories (Gestalt, Constructivism, Ecological theory of visual perception, Computational and Connectionist approaches).
1.2. Object recognition models;
1.3. Face recognition;
1.4. Visual perception and the arts: Painting (e.g. development of perspective) and cinema (e.g. plans and perception of scenes);
2. Auditory perception. The sensorial auditory system; Basic auditory phenomena; sound location; auditory perception and memory;
3. Tactile perception; The cutaneous sensory system; Basic phenomena of auditory perception; Tactile memory; Braille and the texture-weight illusion;
4. The pain: nociceptive perception. Phantom limb and treatment of phantom pain.

ATTENTION

1. Definitions and types of attention. A) Visual attention, auditory attention and intermodal attention. B) Focal attention and selective attention.
1.1. Models of selective attention.
1.2. Filter models (Broadbent, Treisman).
1.3. Capacity models (Kahneman).

2. Absolute and relative limits of selective attention.
2.1. Research techniques of attention;
2.1.1. Visual search tasks and models of attention;
2.1.2. Taquistoscope perception and iconic memory (visual sensorial memory);

3. The control of attention.
3.1. The importance of attention’s control;
3.2. Distinguishing voluntary from automatic control of attention;
3.3. Attention to intentions: Prospective memory;
4. Attention assessment. Focal attention measures, divided attention measures and maintenance of attention or sustained attention measures. Application to human resources selection, learning disabilities and neuropsychological assessment.

PERCEPTION AND ATTENTION
1. The “blindness to change” phenomenon.
2. Perception without attention. Inattentional blindness. Attention and implicit memory.
3. Intermodal perception and attention.
4. To listen and to see: basic phenomena of modalities integration

Mandatory literature

Mack Arien; Inattentional blindness. ISBN: ISBN 0-262-13339-3
Goldstein E. Bruce 730; Blackwell handbook of sensation and perception. ISBN: 0-631-20684-1
James, W.; The principles of psychology, H. Holt and company, 1890
Pashler Harold E.; The psychology of attention. ISBN: ISBN 0-262-16165-6
Styles Elizabeth A.; Attention, perception and memory. ISBN: 0-86377-659-0
Gibson James J.; The ecological approach to visual perception. ISBN: ISBN 0-395-270-49-9
Kahneman Daniel; Attention and effort. ISBN: 0-13-050518-8
Parasurman Raja ed. lit.; The attentive brain. ISBN: ISBN 0-262-16172-9
Broadbent, D. E.; Perception and communication, Oxford University Press, 1987

Teaching methods and learning activities

The classes are theoretical–practical. Some audio-visual examples and data collection for experimental demonstration of phenomena in the domains of perception and attention will take place.

keywords

Social sciences > Psychological sciences > Cognitive science
Social sciences > Psychological sciences > Psychology > Experimental psychology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Attendance (estimated)	Participação presencial	28,00
	Total:	-	0,00

Eligibility for exams

Students cannot fail to attend more than 25% of classes. See more details on the documents folder.