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A text-book of experimental psychology.On attention.

A text-book of experimental psychology.: On attention. Its Effects on the Apparent Order of Presentations.—When two stimuli are simultaneously applied to two different sense organs, they are, as a rule, not perceived simultaneously. If, for example, an auditory stimulus be applied at the same moment as a visual stimulus, the subject experiences it sooner than the latter. For a flash of light to be perceived earlier than a momentary sound, the light must precede the sound by from 60σ to 100σ; when this interval falls to about a quarter of this value, the sound is experienced before the light. These conditions are primarily due to the longer latency of visual as compared with auditory excitation. They are, however, also affected by the chance direction of the subject's attention. The time intervals are materially affected by volitional changes of attention. In one investigation, for example, it was found that, when attention was volitionally directed to the expected light stimulus, the latter had to precede the sound stimulus by 95σ in order that it might be apprehended first, and that, when this interval was reduced below 28σ the sound was experienced before the light. If, on the other hand, the same subject directed his attention to the expected sound, the latter apparently preceded the light stimulus, when, actually, it followed it by an interval of about 50σ. The General Effects of Attention on Presentations.—The direction of attention influences not merely the order of appearance of two nearly or absolutely simultaneous different stimuli, but, as we have seen, it likewise affects the relative distinctness and duration of the stimuli and the absolute and differential thresholds of sensation. Whether the intensity of sensation in general is increased by attention and reduced by distraction is a matter of controversy, which has not yet been finally settled by experiment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

A text-book of experimental psychology.On attention.

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Publisher
Longmans, Green and Co
Copyright
Copyright © 1909 American Psychological Association
Pages
317 –326
DOI
10.1037/13628-024
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

Its Effects on the Apparent Order of Presentations.—When two stimuli are simultaneously applied to two different sense organs, they are, as a rule, not perceived simultaneously. If, for example, an auditory stimulus be applied at the same moment as a visual stimulus, the subject experiences it sooner than the latter. For a flash of light to be perceived earlier than a momentary sound, the light must precede the sound by from 60σ to 100σ; when this interval falls to about a quarter of this value, the sound is experienced before the light. These conditions are primarily due to the longer latency of visual as compared with auditory excitation. They are, however, also affected by the chance direction of the subject's attention. The time intervals are materially affected by volitional changes of attention. In one investigation, for example, it was found that, when attention was volitionally directed to the expected light stimulus, the latter had to precede the sound stimulus by 95σ in order that it might be apprehended first, and that, when this interval was reduced below 28σ the sound was experienced before the light. If, on the other hand, the same subject directed his attention to the expected sound, the latter apparently preceded the light stimulus, when, actually, it followed it by an interval of about 50σ. The General Effects of Attention on Presentations.—The direction of attention influences not merely the order of appearance of two nearly or absolutely simultaneous different stimuli, but, as we have seen, it likewise affects the relative distinctness and duration of the stimuli and the absolute and differential thresholds of sensation. Whether the intensity of sensation in general is increased by attention and reduced by distraction is a matter of controversy, which has not yet been finally settled by experiment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Published: Feb 13, 2012

Keywords: apparent order; attention; sense organs; excitation; time intervals; differential thresholds; presentation order

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