SACE Psychology — background
Attention Models — Flashcards & Quiz
Attention is the cognitive process that selects some stimuli for further processing while others are filtered out. The classic selective attention models (Broadbent's filter, Treisman's attenuation and late-selection models) are not part of the current SACE Stage 2 Psychology subject outline. Treat this page as background: attention is the first factor in observational learning in Topic 5, The Psychology of Learning, and selective attention also appears in Stage 1 cognitive psychology when explaining errors in eyewitness memory.
Key Points
- Selective attention: focusing on one stimulus while ignoring others. Divided attention: handling two or more tasks or stimuli at once.
- Broadbent's filter model (1958): an early filter selects information by physical features such as voice or ear; unattended messages are blocked before meaning is processed.
- Treisman's attenuation model: unattended messages are weakened rather than blocked, so highly relevant words such as your own name can still break through.
- Late-selection models (Deutsch and Deutsch, 1963): all inputs are processed for meaning and selection happens just before response.
- Dichotic listening and shadowing tasks, and the cocktail party effect, are the main evidence used to compare the models.
- In SACE Stage 2 Topic 5, attention is the first of four factors in observational learning (attention, retention, reproduction, motivation).
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating Broadbent and Treisman as the same model — Broadbent blocks unattended input, Treisman only weakens it.
- Claiming attention is unlimited — it is a limited resource, so dividing it usually reduces performance on each task.
- Mixing up selective (one thing) and divided (several things) attention.
- Ignoring the cocktail party effect as evidence that some unattended input is processed for meaning.
- Assuming these models are examined in Stage 2 — the SACE Psychology exam covers Topic 4 Social Influence and Topic 5 The Psychology of Learning.
Exam Strategy
These models are background rather than assessed Stage 2 content. Where attention matters in Stage 2 is observational learning: explain that the learner must first attend to the model's behaviour, then retain it, be able to reproduce it and be motivated to do so. Use what you know about selective attention to explain why a model's characteristics (status, similarity, attractiveness) or a distracting environment change how much is learned.
Sample Flashcards
Q1: Distinguish selective attention from divided attention.
Selective attention is focusing on one stimulus or task while filtering out others, such as listening to one friend in a noisy room. Divided attention is spreading attention across two or more tasks at once, such as driving while talking. Because attention is a limited resource, dividing it usually lowers performance on each task, especially when the tasks are unfamiliar or use the same senses.
Q2: Describe Broadbent's filter model of attention (1958).
Broadbent proposed that all incoming information is briefly held in a sensory buffer, then passes through a selective filter that chooses one channel on the basis of physical features such as the ear it arrives at or the speaker's voice. Only the selected channel is processed for meaning. Unattended information is blocked early, which is why it was called an early-selection model.
Q3: How does Treisman's attenuation model differ from Broadbent's model?
Treisman argued that unattended messages are attenuated, or turned down, rather than blocked completely. Weakened information can still be analysed for meaning, and words with low recognition thresholds, such as your own name or danger words, can still reach awareness. This explains findings that Broadbent's strict filter could not, such as participants following a meaningful story when it switched ears.
Q4: What is a late-selection model of attention?
Late-selection models, proposed by Deutsch and Deutsch (1963), argue that all incoming stimuli are processed for meaning, and selection happens just before a response is made. This explains why meaningful unattended information can affect behaviour. Critics argue it is inefficient to fully process everything, and later research suggests that where selection happens depends on how demanding the task is.
Q5: What is dichotic listening and what does the cocktail party effect show?
In dichotic listening, a participant hears a different message in each ear and repeats one aloud (shadowing). Cherry (1953) found people recalled little of the unattended message beyond physical features such as voice pitch. Yet Moray (1959) found about a third of participants noticed their own name in the unattended ear. This cocktail party effect suggests some unattended input is processed for meaning.
Revision Tip
Attention models pair neatly with their evidence — build a Revizi deck with each model, its key study and its limitation, then link attention to the first step of observational learning.
Related Concepts
Last updated: 9 October 2026 · 6 sample flashcards