02 - Chapter 2: Attention & Effort

Chapter 2: Attention & Effort

• S2 is lazy, usually guided by S1 — but S2 has vital tasks

Mental Effort

• e.g. strenuous exer. for S2, Add-1 = first, think of strings of 4 digits, all different, write each string on an index card. Place a blank card on top of stack. Add-1, beat steady rhythm (or use metronome, 1/sec). Remove the blank card, read the four digits aloud. Wait for two beats, then report a string w. each of the original digits incremented by 1 — (e.g. if the digits on the card are 5294, report 6305) — impt. to keep rhythm — even more difficult, Add-3.
• pupil dilation = mental effort — window to the soul — cognitive pupillometry
• mental life (S2) normally low level, relaxed — occasionally speeded up, even less often makes big effort
• Difficult mental task àblindness — e.g. Invisible Gorilla experiment — S2 allocates attention  to most impt. task, leftover for other tasks, on sec.-by-sec. basis— in an emergency S1 has full control
• more skill involves less effort — “law of least effort,”  least demanding course of action
• What makes some cognitive operat’ns more demanding & effortful than others? What req. increased attention? What can S2 do that S1 cannot?
• effort is required to keep 2 ideas in mind at same time, each requiring separate actions, or to combine the two (S2)
• S2 is the only one that can follow rules, compare objects on several attributes, make deliberate choices between options
• S1 detects simple relations (“they are all alike,” “son is much taller than father”), easily integrates information about one thing — but S1 does not deal w. multiple distinct topics at once — S1 not good w. purely statistical information
• S2 impt. capability: adopt “task sets,” i.e. program memory w. an instr’n overriding habitual responses — e.g. count all occurrence of letter f on page — “executive control” = adopt & terminate task sets — effort is increased when switching tasks, also by time pressure

Speaking of Attention & Effort

·         “I won’t try to solve this while driving. This is a pupil-dilating task. It requires mental effort!”

·         “The law of least effort is operating here. He will think as little as possible.”

·         “She did not forget about the meeting. She was completely focused on something else when the meeting was set and she just didn’t hear you.”

·         “What came quickly to my mind was an intuition from System 1. I’ll have to start over and search my memory deliberately.”