Question

Rodger works in the stationary department of a store and is often asked where specific items (e.g. pens, pencils, rulers) are located. One day while eating dinner at a busy restaurant, he momentarily loses focus of his conversation as he overhears another customer ask for a pen. How can this phenomenon best be explained?

1) The word pen broke through Broadbent's single filter model of attention.
2) He was talking to his friend who has a deep voice, and a higher pitched voice said the word pen.
3) The word pen was consciously attended to by the spotlight model of attention.
4) The word pen broke through Triesman's dual filter model of attention.

Answer 1

Rodger's attention to the word "pen" at a restaurant can be explained by attentional capture, where a salient stimulus breaks through one's attentional filter, aligning with Triesman's dual filter model of attention.

Step-by-step explanation:

The phenomenon experienced by Rodger at the restaurant can best be explained by the concept of attentional capture. When Rodger hears the word "pen" unexpectedly, it is likely due to attentional capture, which is a bottom-up process where an external event breaks through the person's attentional barrier and grabs their attention. This is most closely associated with Triesman's dual filter model of attention, where the word "pen" managed to break through his attentional filter due to its relevance and importance to his daily tasks at work. As Rodger is frequently asked for this item at his job, the word "pen" has likely become a salient stimulus that easily captures his attention.