Donald Broadbent

Donald Broadbent

British experimental psychologist

Donald Broadbent

Birth name	Donald Eric Broadbent
Born	6 May 1926
Birth place	Birmingham, England
Died	10 April 1993
Place of death	Oxford, England
Nationality	British
Known for	Broadbent's filter model of attention

Donald Eric Broadbent (6 May 1926 – 10 April 1993) was a British experimental psychologist known for his pioneering work in cognitive psychology and attention. He is best known for his development of Broadbent's filter model of attention, which has had a significant impact on the field of psychology.

Early Life and Education

Donald Broadbent was born in Birmingham, England, on 6 May 1926. He attended the University of Cambridge, where he studied psychology and later completed his PhD.

Career

Broadbent began his career at the University of Cambridge, where he conducted research on attention and perception. He later moved to the University of Oxford, where he continued his work and became a prominent figure in the field of cognitive psychology.

Contributions to Psychology

Broadbent is best known for his Broadbent's filter model of attention, which he proposed in 1958. This model suggests that information is filtered at an early stage in the processing sequence, allowing only certain information to pass through for further processing. This theory was a significant advancement in understanding how humans process information and has influenced subsequent research in cognitive psychology.

Legacy

Donald Broadbent's work has had a lasting impact on the field of psychology, particularly in the areas of attention and cognitive psychology. His theories continue to be studied and referenced in contemporary research.

Selected Works

• Broadbent, D. E. (1958). Perception and Communication. Pergamon Press.
• Broadbent, D. E. (1971). Decision and Stress. Academic Press.

See Also

• Cognitive psychology
• Attention
• Perception
• University of Cambridge
• University of Oxford