A local bias in attention.

Lead Research Organisation: Goldsmiths University of London
Department Name: Psychology

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
 
Description In our previous work, a very remote population (the Himba of northern Namibia) showed a remarkable ability to ignore contextual visual information which would usually give rise to illusory distortions in Westerners. They also tended to match visual patterns on local features rather than global, contextual shapes. We examined how this 'local bias' might derive from cross-cultural differences in selective visual attention. We were able to discount cross-cultural differences in perceptual processing capacity or cognitive resources. Also, we only found limited evidence that the Himba local bias might be due to a greater tendency to plan actions towards the displays. The explanation for which we found substantial evidence is one suggesting that remote populations focus their cognitive resources better on the task in hand. Despite their local bias, the traditional Himba were better than Western undergraduates at paying attention to both global and local aspects of displays. They were even hardly distracted by irrelevant moving stimuli.

A striking aspect of our data concerns the effects of urbanisation on selective attention and local bias. Even a few visits to an urban setting reduced the local bias in the Himba. Increasing urbanisation was also associated with an increase in the Himba susceptibility to contextual visual illusions and a decrease in the efficiency of their selective attention, to the extent that urbanised Himba become indistinguishable from Westerners in this regard. We therefore have the beginnings of an account of how exposure to an urban environment affects the deployment of attention.
Exploitation Route Our findings show that urbanisation can affect basic cognition, and further work will be needed to fully map out the role of urbanisation on cognitive functions.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy,Environment,Healthcare,Other
URL http://www.gold.ac.uk/press-releases/pressrelease/?releaseID=989
 
Description Our findings on the effects of urbanisation on cognition are relevant to a wide range of academic and professional fields, including experimental psychology, health and occupational psychology, demographics, sociology, town and country planning, and policy making. Our findings thus have high potential impact, in terms of both theoretical understanding of cognition and insight into the consequences of a major current development in human history.
First Year Of Impact 2014
Sector Other
Impact Types Societal,Policy & public services
 
Description A cross-cultural study of the role of attention in simultaneous contrast.
Amount £10,000 (GBP)
Funding ID SG131011 
Organisation The British Academy 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2013 
End 10/2014
 
Description A developmental study of the effect of urbanisation on perception.
Amount £9,000 (GBP)
Organisation The British Academy 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2012 
End 10/2013
 
Description A developmental study of the effect of urbanisation on perception.
Amount £9,000 (GBP)
Organisation The British Academy 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2012 
End 10/2013
 
Description BBC Online Education 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Coverage on BBC Online from the

BBC News Education Correspondent Sean Coughlan



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21506132

Section not completed
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description BBC World News 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A live interview on BBC World News aimed at communicating our JEPHPP 2013 findings ("Urbanisation decreases attentional engagement") and their implications for city-dwellers around the world.

Section not completed
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description ESRC Case Study 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact ESRC Case Study on our JEPHPP 2013 article entitled "Urganisation decreases attentioanl engagement"



http://www.esrc.ac.uk/news-and-events/features-casestudies/features/25501/cities-sap-our-powers-of-concentration.aspx

Section not completed
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Media interest - BBC Horizon 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact This appearance on a national TV programme prompted scores of enquiries concerning the details of our work.

Enquiries came from academics in other disciplines, and enquiries from the general public about the method and the findings. For example, permission has been sought to feature the research on blogs
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
URL http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/entries/24bbc4b8-58f9-373d-a896-274ae453ef2a
 
Description Media interest - Radiolab (US digital radio) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact My appearance on this digital radio broadcast has resulted in numerous email enquiries, from both the academic community and the general public, from the US and internationally.

The enquiries were focussed around deepening the audience's understanding of the concepts I described in my contribution to the programme.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012
URL http://www.radiolab.org/story/211119-colors/
 
Description Radio 4 "The World Tonight" 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact An interview on Radio 4's "The World Tonight" programme aimed at communicating our JEPHPP 2013 findings ("Urbanisation decreases attentional engagement") and their implications for city-dwellers.

Video (in mp4 format which cannot be uploaded here)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Urbanization and engagement 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact There has been considerable media interest in our outcome published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. These have been dealt with by the first author of that paper, Dr Linnell, There was press coverage in the Evening Standard, Metro, Guardian Online and Saturday supplement of the Dutch equivalent of the

Guardian, There has been brief media coverage on most major radio stations and Dr Linnell gave live interviews on BBC World TV News and on Radio 4's The World Tonight.

Section not completed
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012