The Psychology Book (58 page)

184 DONALD BROADBENT

attention to that ear, and the

comprehension, and memory.

problem, and in particular one

information that enters the other

The timing was significant, as

phenomenon Cherry had identified

ear is not always accurately

it coincided with a divergence of

concerning the nature of information

retrieved from memory. In all cases

opinion about the importance

that is selected for attention. When

the information that people chose

of behaviorism in the US, and the

an overheard conversation includes

or were asked to remember first

book slowly became known

information that has some kind of

seemed to be processed more

as one of the landmarks in the

special significance for a person—

accurately than the later material;

development of the new cognitive

such as a personal name—the

it was thought this might be due to

psychology. As a result, Broadbent

attention is switched toward that

parts of the information being lost

was recognized, by his peers if

conversation, and away from the

from the short-term memory store

not the public, as the first major

one previously attended to.

before the participant tried to

psychologist Britain had produced,

Further dichotic listening

retrieve it. In 1957, Broadbent

and was rewarded the same year

experiments at the APU bore out

wrote: “We can listen to only one

by being appointed director of the

Cherry’s findings: attention is

voice at once, and the first words

APU to succeed Bartlett.

filtered by physical characteristics

we hear are the best recalled.”

Not one to rest on his laurels,

but also by meaning, using feedback

however, Broadbent saw his new

from memory stores, prior experience,

Modifying the model

appointment as an opportunity to

and expectations. The sound of a

In 1958, Broadbent published the

continue his work on attention,

siren, for instance, would divert

results of his research in a book,

widening the scope of his research

attention on to that stream of sound.

Perception and Communication
,

and refining the theory. From the

This suggests that information is in

which effectively outlined a

starting point of his filter model,

some way understood before being

framework for studying attention,

he returned to the cocktail party

selected for attention.

Sarah

Sarah?

People at a cocktail

party
may be listening

to one conversation,

but then become aware

of (and switch attention

to) another, if it includes

personally significant

information.

COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 185

The test of a psychological

theory, as well as its moral

justification, lies in its

application to concrete

practical considerations.

Donald Broadbent

Complex industrial processes
could

be transformed in efficiency, Broadbent

thought, through the application of

psychology. He was committed to

producing genuinely useful research.

Broadbent realized that his filter

and their causes. In each case the

shape the development of cognitive

model needed modification, but

results of his experiments led to

science. His work also established

was pleased rather than dismayed

refinements of his theories. In 1971,

applied psychology as an important

to have to make the changes. As a

he published a second book,

approach for problem-solving,

scientist, he felt that all scientific

Decision and Stress
, which detailed

increasing its impact well beyond

theories are temporary, derived