Final answer:
The model of selective attention explains how we focus on specific stimuli, with attention serving as a filter in this cycle. Three theories about the locus of selection are Broadbent's Filter Model, the Cocktail Party Effect, and Treisman's Attenuation Model, all supported by psychological experiments, including those demonstrating inattentional blindness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The model of selective attention explains how we focus on certain stimuli while ignoring others. In this model, attention serves as a filter that prioritizes information deemed important based on specific criteria. The cycle of attention in this context involves noticing (attention), encoding (retention), and the potential for later recall and action (reproduction), all of which are underpinned by underlying motivation.
There are three prominent theories regarding the locus of selection: A) Broadbent's Filter Model, which suggests that the filter occurs early in the processing stream, before the brain processes the meaning of the input; B) Cocktail Party Effect, which demonstrates the ability to focus one's auditory attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli; and D) Treisman's Attenuation Model, which suggests that unattended stimuli are not completely blocked but are attenuated or turned down.
The evidence for these theories comes from various psychological experiments and observations, including the 'selective attention test' from Simons and Chabris (1999), which demonstrates how attention affects perception to a significant degree, leading to phenomena such as inattentional blindness.