Moray (1959)

Key theme: Attention

Attention is defined as 'a concentration of the mind on a single object or thought'. It has a selective nature and can tune out

Divided attention: dual task technique where they are asked to listen to both messages (Can only pay attention to one thing at a time)

Selective attention: presented with 2 or more stimulus, and can instructed to only process one of them. Playing 2 messages and asking to repeat one (dichotic listening) e.g. Cherry (1953)

Apparatus Brenell Mark IV stereophonic tape recorder, before experimenter pp were given 4 passages of prose to shadow for practice. All one male speaker.

Experiment 1

Experiment 3

Aim: Test Cherry's findings

Lab experiment, repeated measures

IV: Message that was presented 1.shadowed message 2.rejected message 3.control (recognition test)

Sample undergraduates and research workers (bot sexes), Oxford uni

Procedure: 1 List of 7 simple words was repeatedly presented to one ear whilst they shadowed a prose message presented to the other ear (repeat the message outloud) - it was repeated 35 times 2 report all you can hear from the rejected message 3 Recognition test which included 21 words from the shadowed passage (7), the reject message (7) and a set of control words (7 words not present in either). 30 second break inbetween.

Results Shadowed mean - 4.9 out of 7, Rejected mean - 1.9 out of 7, control mean - 2.6 out of 7 - SUPPORT Cherry's findings

Experiment 2

Aim To investigate other factors that can affect attention in dichotic listening

Lab experiment, repeated measures design

IV whether or not instructions were prefixed by the pp own name DV the number of times the instructions were heard

Sample 12 undergraduates and research workers (both sexes)

Procedure 1 Shadowed ten short passages (monotone voice, 130 w p/m) of light fiction. Told that their respones would be recorded and that the object of the experiment was for them to try to score as few mistakes possible. In 1/2 cases, name was prefixed

Results Rejected message: Name- 20/39, non-name - 4/36

Aim Tested if instructions might alter the attention of a pp in such way as to alter the chances of material in the reject message perceived

Lab experiment, independent measures

IV i) whether digits were inserted into 1 or both messages ii)wether pp were told they had to answer questions about shadowed message or had to remember digits
DV the number of digits correctly reported

Sample 28 pp (14 in each group) undergraduates and research workers, both sexes

Procedure Both groups shadowed one of the 2 simultaneous dichotic messages. In messages digits were inserted towards end (in some or both). G1 - would be asked about content G2-asked about digits G3 not asked

Results No significant difference - the pp cannot be primed to respond to digits heard in the rejected message, unlike in study 2 when they recognised their own name in a rejected message (null h).

Conclusions In dichotic listening, almost none of the reject message is able to penetrate the block. Rejected message (incl simple words) - not remember even when repeated. Subjectively important messages e.g. name can penetrate the block