In cognitive psychology, what term refers to any speech or sounds that a listener has to filter out in order to focus on a target message?

• A. Echoic memory
• B. Priming
• C. Noise
• D. Distractor

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of the question, which is about cognitive psychology and how listeners process auditory information.
2. Step 2: Recognize that the question asks for a term describing speech or sounds that a listener must filter out to focus on a target message.
3. Step 3: Review the given options: Echoic memory, Priming, Noise, and Distractor, and recall their definitions.
4. Step 4: Recall that 'Echoic memory' refers to the brief sensory memory for sounds, and 'Priming' involves exposure to one stimulus influencing response to another.
5. Step 5: Identify that 'Noise' is the term used for irrelevant sounds or speech that interfere with focusing on the target message, making it the correct answer.