Final answer:
Dichotic listening is a psychological task where people are presented with two different messages, one to each ear. It is often used to study selective attention and auditory perception.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psychological Task: Dichotic Listening
Dichotic listening is the type of task where people are presented with two different messages, one to each ear. This task is often used in studies of selective attention and auditory perception. The goal is to determine how well a person can focus on one message while ignoring the other. For example, participants might be asked to listen to a story presented to one ear while ignoring random numbers presented to the other ear. The participant's ability to accurately recall details of the story would indicate their level of attention and processing of the target message.
Example:
In an experiment, participants are asked to repeat back the numbers they hear in the attended ear, while disregarding the words being presented to the unattended ear. This type of task helps researchers understand how we process and filter information in complex auditory environments.
References:
- Grothe et al. (2010).