How Do Early- and Late-Selection Models of Attention Differ? Propose

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Examlex · Accepted Answer

The Answer is Early- and late-selection models of attention differ in terms of when the filtering of information occurs in the cognitive process. In early-selection models, the filtering of information happens at an early stage of processing, before the information is fully analyzed. This means that only selected information is processed further, while the rest is ignored. In contrast, late-selection models propose that all information is fully analyzed before the filtering occurs, with only selected information being further processed and the rest being ignored.

To distinguish between these two models, a dichotic listening experiment could be conducted. In this experiment, participants are presented with different auditory stimuli in both ears simultaneously. For example, in one ear they may hear a series of numbers, and in the other ear they may hear a series of words. The participants are then instructed to pay attention to one ear and ignore the other.

If the early-selection model is accurate, participants should only be able to recall the information presented in the ear they were instructed to pay attention to, and should not be able to recall any information from the ignored ear. This is because the filtering process happens at an early stage, so the ignored information is not fully processed.

On the other hand, if the late-selection model is accurate, participants should be able to recall some information from both ears, regardless of which ear they were instructed to pay attention to. This is because all information is fully processed before the filtering occurs, allowing some information from the ignored ear to still be recalled.

By comparing the recall of information from both ears in this experiment, researchers can gather evidence to distinguish between the early- and late-selection models of attention.

How Do Early- and Late-Selection Models of Attention Differ? Propose

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