Articles tagged with Attention
Researchers found that people's brains become distracted by previously associated rewarding objects, such as money, even when they're not important in the task. This effect persists for weeks and is linked to impulsivity levels.
A new study published in Psychological Science found that attention and awareness are distinct mental states. The researchers used the phenomenon of visual pop-out to demonstrate that people can pay attention to a stimulus without being aware of it, especially when distracted.
Children with psychopathic tendencies don't respond quickly to fearful faces, suggesting a deeper issue with processing threats. This suggests that addressing callous unemotionality may be more effective than teaching attention to fearful faces.
A study by University of Utah psychologists found that individuals with lower working memory capacity are more prone to inattention blindness, missing a person in a gorilla suit walking across the screen. This suggests that people with better control over their attention may be more likely to notice unexpected events.
A study found that childhood cancer survivors suffer from sleep problems and fatigue, negatively impacting their attention and memory. Addressing sleep hygiene may help improve cognitive health in these individuals.
Research from the University of Toronto Scarborough found that traditional problem-focused approaches to work-life balance can cause more problems due to stress and exhaustion. In contrast, avoiding conflicts by taking breaks can lead to reduced conflict between life roles and improved satisfaction with life.
A team of researchers has successfully programmed a robot to understand when it gains a human's attention and when it falls short. Using social cues, the robot achieves close to 80% accuracy in detecting whether someone is paying attention or ignoring it. The findings could pave the way for robots to engage with humans more effectively.
Researchers found that left-handed individuals showed no asymmetry in hand preference, suggesting a possible explanation: hemispheric specialisation for speech and language. Right-handed participants had trouble with bimanual tasks when using their right hand, indicating a bias towards choosing the correct hand.
Researchers found that hand-raised wolves can follow a gaze around an obstacle, indicating a more cognitively advanced task than previously observed. The wolves' ability to detour an obstacle suggests that gaze following is not exclusive to primates and corvids.
A recent study by Queen's University researcher Niko Troje reveals that the way people perceive the Silhouette Illusion is not determined by personality or brain type. Instead, the viewer's angle of view plays a crucial role in shaping their perception of the spinning woman.
Researchers found that liberals consistently move their attention in response to gaze cues, while conservatives do not. This suggests that liberals tend to be more responsive to others and are influenced by social interaction, whereas conservatives value personal autonomy and are less likely to be swayed by external cues.
Toddlers who played with a broader array of objects learned new words twice as fast as those who played with similar objects. They also developed the ability to generalize knowledge and learn names of new objects by focusing on material rather than shape.
Research reveals that architecture can influence people's ability to navigate buildings, with some designs favoring spatial skills over others. A study suggests strategies for improving wayfinding in complex environments.
Adults with insecure attachment styles may have difficulties regulating emotions, leading to increased risk for mental health problems. Cultural differences in the endowment effect suggest that independence and self-enhancement values influence giving up possessions.
A new study found that playing white noise in class can improve the memory of schoolchildren with difficulties in paying attention. The researchers discovered a significant improvement in performance for inattentive children and a decline in performance for attentive ones as noise levels increased.
A study by Concordia University researchers found that high estrogen levels are associated with an inability to pay attention and learn in female rodents. Human females experience similar difficulties during ovulation, suggesting a direct link between estrogen and cognitive function.
Researchers at the University of Granada identified different effects of nervous disposition and anxious moments on attention processes. The study found that high trait anxiety values resulted in deficient attentional performance, while high state anxiety led to overfunctioning of alerting and orienting networks.
A study published in Psychological Science found that when the mind wanders, people blink more, setting up a 'tiny physical barrier' to prevent external information from entering the brain. The researchers suggest that this blinking behavior is an embodiment of mind-wandering, highlighting the interconnectedness of the body and mind.
A British study found that nearly two-thirds of patients were unaware they had a minor stroke and over one-third delayed seeking medical attention for more than 24 hours. The study suggests a lack of public awareness about recognizing the signs of a minor stroke, with people from all demographics showing similar lack of knowledge.
The study found that modern films, particularly those from the action and adventure genres, exhibit a pattern called the 1/f fluctuation, which is a natural pattern of human attention. This pattern appears in music, engineering, economics, and elsewhere in nature.
Researchers found that daytime naps significantly aid infants' ability to generalize knowledge and recognize patterns in new information. The UA study revealed that napping within four hours after exposure to artificial language enhances abstract learning and sentence structure recognition in young children.
Children with ADHD exhibit reduced ventral striatum volumes associated with symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness. The study suggests that motivational deficiencies contribute to ADHD's imbalance in attention and hyperactivity levels.
Researchers found distinct neurophysiological patterns in ADHD symptoms between children with and without prenatal alcohol exposure, suggesting different underlying processes. The study's findings may provide new insights into the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on ADHD treatment.
Researchers found that infants as young as five months old engage in joint attention with adults, activating the left prefrontal cortex, a region involved in complex cognitive and social behaviors. This suggests that the human brain develops this important social skill surprisingly early in infancy.
A recent study by researchers at the Salk Institute found that the superior colliculus plays a key role in controlling attention, particularly in covert attention. This discovery may shed light on neurological disorders such as neglect syndrome and autism.
According to new research, background images in charts and graphs can actually enhance one's ability to read them. When presented against a contrasting background, design elements such as rectangles or circles make the graph pop out, allowing viewers to focus on individual components more effectively.
A new analysis by Oregon State University researchers highlights the scope of the US groundwater crisis, which threatens drinking water for half the world's population. Experts say lessons from the oil industry could help manage this crisis through techniques like unitization and maximizing water value.
A new Iowa State University study suggests that frequent video game players have difficulty maintaining focus on tasks requiring longer attention. The research found that brain wave and behavioral measures of proactive attention were significantly diminished in high-volume gamers compared to those who played less frequently.
A new CU-Boulder study found that people tend to view their immediate emotions as more intense and important than previous ones when assessing risks. This can lead to overlooking more mundane threats like global warming in favor of highly publicized dangers.
Researchers are studying the principles of perception in art using both artistic and neuroscientific viewpoints. The collaboration aims to understand how we gaze at art pieces compared to non-artistic images.
A University of Missouri study found that people devote more attention and memory to local health threats than distant ones when reading online news. The study supported the 'hardwired for news' theory, suggesting a mechanism for increased attention to localized negative information.
Researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory discovered that brain waves regulate the timing of attention shifts in the visual system. The study found that brain waves cycle between high and low activity states, providing a framework for shifting attention from one location to another.
A recent study suggests that chimps respond to faces in a similar manner to humans, capturing attention more effectively than other objects. Reaction times improved when the target appeared behind the image of a chimpanzee face.
A study from Vanderbilt University found that individuals with higher empathy levels were better at mentally transforming their body position to simulate another person's perspective. This suggests a link between spatial abilities and empathy, with implications for understanding the neural basis of emotional intelligence.
Researchers explore human visual system's dual processing of sensory information, revealing independent pathways for actions and perception. The study demonstrates that threatening stimuli grab attention, even when consciously unidentified, highlighting the brain's ability to prioritize survival.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center discovered neurons that mirror the attention of others, which may contribute to social deficits in autism and other disorders. The attention-mirroring neurons were found in the parietal lobe, a part of the brain dedicated to eye movements and attention.
A new study finds that brain regions associated with complex problem-solving are highly active during daydreaming, challenging the long-held notion that these areas are dormant. This suggests that daydreaming may be an important cognitive state for unconsciously tackling important problems in life.
Researchers found that imagining a posture can affect behavior, suggesting that our 'peripersonal space' can be extended to influence actions. This ability may have advantages in determining realism and avoiding collisions.
A new study from Stanford University School of Medicine found that brain activity patterns differ in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder compared to those without the condition. The research suggests that increased attention to one's own responses to erotic stimuli may play a role in sexual dysfunction.
Research shows doodling while listening can significantly improve memory recall, with participants recalling an average of 7.5 names of people and places compared to 5.8 non-doodlers. Doodling helps maintain focus on the main task without affecting performance.
Active learning is a teaching concept that prepares students for real-world interactions by encouraging participation, group work, and peer review. The approach has been successful in courses like software design, where lecturing plays a minimal role.
A UBC study finds that red improves attention to detail, while blue enhances creative thinking. Red also influences consumer receptivity, favoring detailed product information over evocative messaging.
A study published in Cortex found that reducing attentional resources enhances memory accuracy in confabulating patients. By dividing their attention between tasks, these patients showed significantly reduced false-memory levels.
A meta-analysis of cognitive rehabilitation studies suggests that treatments tailored to age, injury, symptoms, and time since injury are more effective. Cognitive skills training in specific domains like attention and visuospatial processing shows promise, while holistic approaches have limited benefits.
Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia found that ads focusing on fear or disgust increase attention and memory in viewers, while combining both decreased impact. The study suggests that using either scare or disgust content alone is more effective in anti-tobacco campaigns than their combined approach.
A new study from the University of Missouri found that anti-tobacco ads focusing on either fear or disgust increase attention and memory in viewers. However, ads combining both elements decrease viewers' attention and memory. The researchers suggest that the combination of fear and disgust can make an ad 'too noxious' for the viewer.
Researchers discovered that children with autism spend less time looking at a teacher's face when imitating new skills, compared to typically developing children. This finding sheds light on why children with autism struggle to learn from others and may lead to potential interventions.
A study found that low-birth-weight children are more likely to experience externalizing and internalizing psychiatric problems, as well as attention problems in urban communities. Early interventions may improve attention skills and lead to better outcomes later.
A study by University of Granada researchers distinguishes between endogenous (voluntary) and exogenous (involuntary) attention systems. The findings have significant implications for understanding attention disorders and training healthy children.
Researchers found that when attention to detail is required, sad children perform better than their happy peers. This finding contradicts the idea that happiness always leads to optimal outcomes. The study suggests that a positive mood can have hidden costs for certain tasks.
University of Missouri researchers discovered that the human brain has a fixed capacity for holding information in working memory, with an average capacity of 3-4 items. This finding has significant implications for understanding attention-deficit disorders and improving learning outcomes.
Research shows that individuals who are anxious about appearing prejudiced may avoid interactions with people of different races due to fear of social disapproval. A study by Jennifer Richeson and Sophie Trawalter found that white participants focused on neutral black faces for longer periods than white faces, suggesting a cognitive bi...
A new study from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine explores the neural mechanisms behind hunger and food cravings. The research found that when subjects were fasting, their brains responded strongly to visual cues of donuts, highlighting the brain's ability to prioritize needs in a complex environment.
A new study examines how our gazes shift towards potentially offended individuals, revealing a complex interplay of social identity, possible reactions, and assessment of the situation. The researchers found that participants fixated on the Black discussant four times longer when they believed he could hear what was being said.
Researchers found that listening to music improved verbal memory and focused attention in stroke patients, with a 60% improvement in verbal memory three months after the stroke. Music also reduced depression and confusion in patients, suggesting its potential as an addition to clinical practice.
Researchers discovered that people from different cultures use their brains differently to solve visual perceptual tasks. East Asians and Americans showed distinct patterns of brain activation when performing absolute and relative judgments.
Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center found that older adults' ability to engage multisensory attention remains intact with age. Despite previous research suggesting otherwise, the study showed that older adults can speed up and slow down their brain's processing of relevant information, similar to younger adults.
A study by Mary Murphy found that women experience identity threat when outnumbered in MSE settings, leading to decreased performance expectations and actual performance. The study suggests that situational cues can contribute to the performance gap between men and women in these fields.
A recent study on joint attention reveals its crucial role in understanding autism, suggesting impaired social skills and communication difficulties. The 'attention-systems model' proposes that joint attention is the result of two basic forms of attention interacting throughout development.
A study by Keith S. Coulter and Robin A. Coulter found that the numerical value of the farthest right digit influences consumer perception of sale prices, with smaller digits perceived as larger discounts.