Components of attention.

Posner, Michael I.; Boies, Stephen J.

doi:10.1037/h0031333

Cited by 1,344 publications

(862 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…More precisely, functional independence means that This article explores the functional independence of stop and go processes by examining the hypothesis that they share capacity. Capacity sharing is a common explanation of dual-task interference (Kahneman, 1973;Pashler, 1994;Posner & Boies, 1971), and several studies have asked whether the stop process and the go process share capacity (Logan, 1981;Logan & Burkell, 1986;Yamaguchi, Logan, & Bissett, 2012). We ask the question more rigorously, using parameters of our stop-signal models to measure capacity and assess functional independence (Townsend & Ashby, 1983).…”

Section: Independence Assumptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the ability to inhibit thought and action: General and special theories of an act of control.

Logan¹,

Zandt²,

Verbruggen³

et al. 2014

Psychological Review

557

389

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Response inhibition is an important act of control in many domains of psychology and neuroscience. It is often studied in a stop-signal task that requires subjects to inhibit an ongoing action in response to a stop signal. Performance in the stop-signal task is understood as a race between a go process that underlies the action and a stop process that inhibits the action. Responses are inhibited if the stop process finishes before the go process. The finishing time of the stop process is not directly observable; a mathematical model is required to estimate its duration. developed an independent race model that is widely used for this purpose. We present a general race model that extends the independent race model to account for the role of choice in go and stop processes, and a special race model that assumes each runner is a stochastic accumulator governed by a diffusion process. We apply the models to 2 data sets to test assumptions about selective influence of capacity limitations on drift rates and strategies on thresholds, which are largely confirmed. The model provides estimates of distributions of stop-signal response times, which previous models could not estimate. We discuss implications of viewing cognitive control as the result of a repertoire of acts of control tailored to different tasks and situations.

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Section: Independence Assumptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the ability to inhibit thought and action: General and special theories of an act of control.

Logan¹,

Zandt²,

Verbruggen³

et al. 2014

Psychological Review

557

389

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…They differ primarily in the assumptions they invoke to explain the limit. Some theories assume that a limited capacity for activation constrains the number of items that can be kept sufficiently active to be recalled (Anderson, Reder, & Lebiere, 1996;Daneman & Carpenter, 1980;Just & Carpenter, 1992;Logan, 1978Logan, , 1979see Kahneman, 1973;Moray, 1967;Posner & Boies, 1971). Other theories assume that activation decays over time and only a limited number of items can be kept active enough to be recalled Baddeley, 1986Baddeley, , 1996Baddeley & Hitch, 1974;Cowan, 1995Cowan, , 1999Hitch, Towse, & Hutton, 2001).…”

Section: Capacity Limitations In Working Memorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Working Memory, Task Switching, and Executive Control in the Task Span Procedure.

Logan

2004

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

104

167

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Four experiments explored the task span procedure: Subjects received lists of 1-10 task names to remember and then lists of 1-10 stimuli on which to perform the tasks. Task span is the number of tasks performed in order perfectly. Experiment 1 compared the task span with the traditional memory span in 6 practiced subjects and found little difference. Experiment 2 compared the task span and the memory span in 64 unpracticed subjects and also found little difference. Experiment 3 compared practice with consistent and varied lists to address retrieval from long-term memory. Experiment 4 manipulated the number of task switches and found that it had little effect on task spans. The results suggest there is no trade-off between storage and task switching, which supports some theories of executive control and challenges others.Executive control is the instrument of volition. It is the process by which the mind programs itself and exercises control over the execution of its programs. Executive control is an important topic in many areas of psychology, including cognitive science, cognitive neuroscience, life span development, psychopathology, and individual differences. Executive control appears in various guises, so it is studied in various ways. Two of the most popular domains in which it is studied are working memory and task switching. This article concerns the relation between working memory and task switching and what it reveals about the nature of executive control. It introduces a new experimental paradigm called the task span procedure that was designed to reveal the interaction between working memory and task switching: Subjects are given a list of tasks to perform and then a series of stimuli to perform them on. The task span procedure requires working memory to store the list of task names and keep track of progress through the list. It requires task switching because successive tasks on the list are generally different. It also requires subordinate processes, controlled by the executive, to perform the tasks on the list. The task span procedure addresses several issues that distinguish theories of working memory, including the nature of capacity limitations, the nature of information loss, and the role of long-term memory in working-memory spans. The task span procedure also addresses issues in the task-switching literature, including what is involved in changing from one task to another. The Task Span ProcedureIn principle, the task span procedure can involve any number of tasks of any kind. In everyday life, it could involve a series of chores you hope to accomplish on a weekend or a series of meetings in your office at work. In this article, the task span procedure involves three tasks that can be performed on numbers that are presented as digits (e.g., 3) or words (e.g., nine). The three tasks are magnitude judgments (i.e., is the number greater than or less than 5?), parity judgments (i.e., is the number odd or even?), and form judgments (i.e., is the number a digit or a word?). The task names specify ...

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“…Research reported since this time has also been the subject of periodic reviews (R. G. M. Morris, 1996; Parasuraman, in press;Parasuraman & Greenwood, 1998;Perry & Hodges, 1999), as have studies of attention in healthy aging McDowd & Shaw, 2000). Accordingly, we do not revisit this burgeoning literature but briefly survey the major results before focusing on two aspects of attentional function that have been shown to be sensitive to the ApoE gene and AD.Although there is no completely agreed on taxonomy of attention, a good case can be made for the relative independence of at least three components: selection, vigilance, and executive control (Parasuraman, 1998;Parasuraman & Davies, 1984;Posner & Boies, 1971). Selection refers to the preferential processing of particular stimuli that are relevant to an organism's current goal; vigilance ensures that processing is maintained over time so that the goal can be achieved; and executive control allows for the time sharing and coordination of these processing activities with other goal-directed activities (Parasuraman, 1998).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The apolipoprotein E gene, attention, and brain function.

Parasuraman¹,

Greenwood²,

Sunderland³

2002

Neuropsychology

108

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The ɛ4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene is associated with alterations in brain function and is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Changes in components of visuospatial attention with ApoE-ɛ4, aging, and AD are described. Healthy middle-aged adults without dementia who have the ApoE-ɛ4 gene show deficits in spatial attention and working memory that are qualitatively similar to those seen in clinically diagnosed AD patients. The findings support an association between ApoE polymorphism and specific components of visuospatial attention. Molecular mechanisms that may mediate the ApoE-attention link by modulating cholinergic neurotransmission to the posterior parietal cortex are discussed. Studies of attention and brain function in ApoE-ɛ4 carriers without dementia can advance knowledge of the genetics of visual attention, may enhance understanding of the preclinical phase of AD, and may lead to better methods for early AD detection.Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is an amino acid glycoprotein that is important in lipid storage, transport, and metabolism (Mahley, 1988). Although synthesized mainly in the liver, ApoE is also found in the peripheral and central nervous systems, including the brain. ApoE has long been of interest in medicine, but its importance in neuroscience increased dramatically with the identification of the ɛ4 allele of the ApoE gene on chromosome 19 as a major risk factor for the development of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) in older adults Strittmatter et al., 1993). This discovery led to a growing number of studies examining the role of the ApoE gene in normal brain function and cognition, as well as in disorders such as AD, brain injury, and stroke (Higgins, Large, Rupniak, & Barnes, 1997;Horsburgh, McCarron, White, & Nicol, 2000; J. D. Smith, 2000).Polymorphisms of the ApoE gene are associated with significant alterations in brain morphology (Plassman et al., 1997) and cognitive functioning, including attention (Greenwood, Sunderland, Friz, & Parasuraman, 2000) and memory (Bondi et al., 1995). Studies of ApoE may thus reveal information relevant to the genetics of attention and memory in normal individuals. At the same time, such studies may identify cognitive and neural changes that may be characteristic of preclinical stages of AD. In this article, we review the role of the ApoE gene in normal cognition and in the development of deficits indicative of early AD.Currently, no reliable methods exist for the early detection and treatment of AD. New techniques for preventing, slowing the progression of, and treating AD are being urgently sought. Such efforts would be aided considerably if AD could be detected prior to the clinical diagnosis of AD and before irreversible brain changes occur (Daffner & Scinto, 2000). Postmortem studies show that neuropathological changes occur decades before the onset of NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptNeuropsychology. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2006 January 25. Published in final edited form as:Neuropsychology. 2002 April ; ...

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Components of attention.

Cited by 1,344 publications

References 37 publications

On the ability to inhibit thought and action: General and special theories of an act of control.

On the ability to inhibit thought and action: General and special theories of an act of control.

Working Memory, Task Switching, and Executive Control in the Task Span Procedure.

The apolipoprotein E gene, attention, and brain function.

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