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Resources
Our
cognitive processing begins with selecting an event and maintaining
it in our consciousness. The event may be internally generated (thought)
or initiated by internal or external stimuli. Given the great number
of stimuli impending on our sensory systems at any moment in time,
we must select events or stimuli for further processing. To accomplish
this, we selectively "focus on" and "attend to"
specific stimuli that are most relevant to our purpose.
However,
our attention resources are limited. Wickens in his model uses the
analogy of a resevoir that is part of a closed system with a "set"
amount of attentional resources. When attentional resources are
expended on one component of the information processing system,
less remains for use by the other components.*
![](cognition_images/Wickens_attenres2_try.gif)
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Adapted
from Wicken's Resource Resevoir Model*
Attentional
Resources Available Vary with Demand
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*Wickens,
C.D., Engineering Psychology and Human Performance, Harper
Collins, New York, 1992.
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