In cognitive psychology, what is the definition of selective attention?

• A. The ability to remember information over long periods of time.
• B. The tendency to interpret new information based on existing beliefs.
• C. The process by which individuals focus on one particular stimulus while ignoring other stimuli in the environment.
• D. The process of encoding sensory input into short-term memory.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that selective attention is a concept in cognitive psychology related to how we process information from our environment.
2. Recognize that selective attention involves focusing on one specific stimulus while filtering out other irrelevant stimuli around us.
3. Differentiate selective attention from other cognitive processes such as memory retention, interpretation biases, and encoding sensory input.
4. Recall that selective attention allows individuals to concentrate mental resources on a particular task or stimulus, enhancing perception and response to that stimulus.
5. Summarize that selective attention is defined as the process by which individuals focus on one particular stimulus while ignoring other stimuli in the environment.