Perceptual Load Paper
Perceptual load theory questions whether attention affects information processing, and if it does in what stage, early selection, or late selection. In psychology there are a number of theories that try to help us understand how we process information. I think that understanding and processing information is extremely important, and sort of the basis of cognitive psychology.
Methods
The flanker task was conducted in a classroom of students; this experiment is designed to determine the idea of the perceptual load theory. In front of the students is a power point slide; on that slide is a letter in the center of array of letters. The experimenter tells the students that a letter will appear off to the side of the array of letters, that letter was identified as the flanker. The experimenter tells the students to say whether the flanker is the same or different from the target letter as she move through a series of slides. This is experiment had two different cognitive levels low and high. In low mode the arrays of the letter were the same and the only object that changed was the flanker. In high mood not only did the flanker change but the array of letters as well. The flanker task is a 2x2 design. The independent variable was the flanker whether it was same or different and the cognitive levels, high and low. The dependent variable was the student’s reaction time, how fast they were able to identify if the target letter was the same as …show more content…
The students were able identify the letters quickly. Also low load is considered to be in late selection so it did matter whether the flanker was the same or different because it was being processed. High load is considered to be early selection so the flanker is not being processed. The reaction time was much slower; students had a difficult time identifying it
Perceptual load theory questions whether attention affects information processing, and if it does in what stage, early selection, or late selection. In psychology there are a number of theories that try to help us understand how we process information. I think that understanding and processing information is extremely important, and sort of the basis of cognitive psychology.
Methods
The flanker task was conducted in a classroom of students; this experiment is designed to determine the idea of the perceptual load theory. In front of the students is a power point slide; on that slide is a letter in the center of array of letters. The experimenter tells the students that a letter will appear off to the side of the array of letters, that letter was identified as the flanker. The experimenter tells the students to say whether the flanker is the same or different from the target letter as she move through a series of slides. This is experiment had two different cognitive levels low and high. In low mode the arrays of the letter were the same and the only object that changed was the flanker. In high mood not only did the flanker change but the array of letters as well. The flanker task is a 2x2 design. The independent variable was the flanker whether it was same or different and the cognitive levels, high and low. The dependent variable was the student’s reaction time, how fast they were able to identify if the target letter was the same as …show more content…
The students were able identify the letters quickly. Also low load is considered to be in late selection so it did matter whether the flanker was the same or different because it was being processed. High load is considered to be early selection so the flanker is not being processed. The reaction time was much slower; students had a difficult time identifying it