Broadbent's Filter Model

Definition

Broadbent's Filter Model is a theory of selective attention that suggests information processing occurs in stages, with a filter that allows only certain information to pass through for further processing. This model emphasizes the idea that individuals can focus on one message while filtering out other stimuli in the environment, thus making it crucial for understanding how we manage competing sources of information.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Broadbent's Filter Model was proposed in 1958 as part of a broader attempt to understand how people handle multiple streams of information.
2. The model posits that sensory information enters a 'sensory register' before being filtered based on physical characteristics like pitch or loudness.
3. Only the selected messages that pass through the filter reach higher levels of cognitive processing, such as perception and memory.
4. This model has been influential in shaping research on attention, leading to further developments and refinements in cognitive psychology.
5. Critics of the model argue that it oversimplifies the complexities of attention and does not account for the influence of meaning and context on processing.

Review Questions

• How does Broadbent's Filter Model explain the mechanism of selective attention?
  • Broadbent's Filter Model explains selective attention by proposing a two-stage process where sensory information first enters a sensory register and is then filtered based on physical characteristics. This filtering mechanism allows individuals to focus on specific stimuli while ignoring others, ensuring that only relevant information is processed further. This model highlights the limitations of our attentional resources and how we prioritize certain inputs over others.
• Discuss how the Cocktail Party Effect challenges Broadbent's Filter Model.
  • The Cocktail Party Effect illustrates situations where individuals can hear their name or significant information from unattended channels, which challenges Broadbent's strict filtering mechanism. According to Broadbent's model, irrelevant information should be completely filtered out, yet this phenomenon suggests that some unattended stimuli can still be processed at a meaningful level. This has led researchers to propose modifications to the original model to account for how certain salient stimuli can capture attention even when they are not the primary focus.
• Evaluate the relevance of Broadbent's Filter Model in today's understanding of cognitive psychology and attention.
  • Broadbent's Filter Model remains relevant in cognitive psychology as it laid foundational ideas about how selective attention operates. While subsequent theories, such as Treisman's Attenuation Theory, have expanded upon its concepts by addressing its limitations, Broadbent's work continues to inform research on attentional processes. Modern studies often investigate how both physical characteristics and semantic content influence attention, showing that understanding selective attention is crucial in areas like human-computer interaction and cognitive load management.

Related terms

Selective Attention: The cognitive process of focusing on a particular object or message in the presence of other distractions, allowing for prioritized processing of relevant information.

Cocktail Party Effect: The phenomenon where individuals can focus on a single conversation in a noisy environment, demonstrating the ability to filter out background noise and irrelevant stimuli.

Attenuation Theory: An alternative model proposed by Anne Treisman that suggests instead of completely filtering out unattended stimuli, the strength of the signal is attenuated, allowing some information to still be processed.