Worksheet: The Cocktail Party Phenomenon

Assignment Overview

Imagine that you are at an office party, a holiday party, or a gathering of friends at the home of a neighbor and you are engaged in a discussion with a friend. More people are talking behind you, but you are not paying attention to their conversation. Suddenly, you hear your name mentioned by one of the individuals engaged in the conversation behind you. You become unable to concentrate on the discussion, because you are too busy trying to hear what the other people are saying about you. You know you were not deliberately eavesdropping on this conversation, but you know that you heard your name. Is it possible that you were unconsciously eavesdropping?

In this assignment, you will describe the reasons behind a phenomenon referred to as “The Cocktail Party Phenomenon.”

Assignment Details

Perform the following tasks:

· Complete the reading assignment and the interactive lesson before attempting this assignment.

· Using LIRN or other online reliable Internet resources prepare responses to the questions on page 2.

· Use this document to answer the questions above.

· Your responses (approximately 250 words) must have correct spelling and grammar.

· Submit Week 3 Assignment via Blackboard by clicking on the “Week 3 Assignment” link.

· Include the proper file naming convention: PSY101H_wk3_assn_jsmith_mmddyyyy.

Note: See the Written Assignment Rubric for a review of writing expectations.

Grading:

Assignment Worksheet

Respond to the following prompts:

Using LIRN or other reliable online resources to respond to the following:

1. Define dichotic listening.

Your answer:

2. How does dichotic listening work?

Your answer:

3. How does this explain what is happening at the party?

Your answer: