ATTENTION

Attention: ability to detect and respond to stimuli

Attention is not a unitary construct just like memory there are many different

types of attention

At the psychological level: attention implies a preferential allocation of processing resources and response channels to events that have become behaviorally relevant

What is Attention?

Determinants of Attention

Objective

Factors

Subjective

Factors

FACTORS of attention

OBJECTIVE FACTORS

• SIZE• INTENSITY• CHANGE• CONTRAST• NOVELTY• MOVEMENT• REPITATION• SYSTEMATIC FORM

SUBJECTIVE FACTORS

• Interest• Need• Mental Set• Mood• Physiological

Condition

Determinants of attention

Objects or text that are larger gain more attention than normal or small objects.  Example: Traffic

signs are large and are usually in all capital letters.

SIZE

 Intense objects or text garner attention. Example: Brigh

t colors attract more attention than plain black text. 

INTENSITY

Sudden change in a STIMULUS attracts our attention

Example: any changes in our home (Chair or tables) bring more attention 

change

Stimulus present itself as a contrast in the middle of the other stimuli

Example A black dot in a white clean shirt Matching dress Black board – white chalk In class – tr. Should use various

stimulus

contrast

"Stimuli that are novel or unusual is some way tend to draw people's attention."       

Example: A person will pay attention to a two-headed goat before a one-headed goat, because a two-headed is not something that a person see every day.

NOVELTY

Adults and children are more likely to pay attention to an object with there is motion (Movement) involved.  Example: Children are more drawn to toys that move such as toy cars.

MOTION

When a stimulus is presented repeatedly our attention is diverted

For example, repeated horn of a fire brigade or ambulance.

REPITATION

Objects with systematic form are easily attended to and retained long in our memory

SYSTEMATIC

An object or sound which can be experienced clearly draws our attention than the stimuli which are not clear.

For example, during night times stars and planets which are seen clearly draw our attention.

Clarity

SUBJECTIVE FACTORS•Interest•Need•Mental Set•Mood•Physiological Condition

Objects of our interest draw our attention immediately.

For example, while moving on a road a sportsman is attracted towards the shop where sports materials are placed.

A person who is interested in a particular singer will immediately divert his attention the moment he listens his voice.

INTEREST

Motives are powerful forces which make us to divert our attention.

For example, a hotel will draw the attention of a hungry person because he has a drive for food.

NEED OR VALUE

Words with strong emotional connections seem to gain more attention than others. Example: In nursing school, our teacher would say, "this could kill your patient", when she would say that all students would perk up and pay attention due to the nature of her statement.

EMOTION

  A person is more likely to pay attention to a person or concept that hold personal significance to them. Example: If a person

has had a family member or friend diagnosed with ALERGY , they are more likely to pay attention to a lecture about ALERGY, because they know how it could affect their lives.

PERSONAL SIGNIFICANCE (mental setup)

"People are more likely to pay attention to things they see others looking at or reacting to."

Example: If you see a crowd of people staring at something you will try to find out what the group is reacting to, its human curiosity.  

SOCIAL CUES

One’s body also determines the level of attention.

For Example: Head Ache – unable to attend class

PHYSIOLOGICAL Conditions

TYPES OR VARIETIES OF ATTENTION

Voluntary (volitional) Involuntary (non-volitional)

KINDS OF ATTENTION

It demands the conscious effort on our part.

For example, solving an assigned problem in Mathematics, answering a question in examination needs voluntary attention.

It is further sub divided into two categories:

1. Implicit volitional attention 2. Explicit volitional attention

VOLUNTARY ATTENTION

A single act of will is responsible for arousing attention.

For example; a teacher assigns practice work to a child & warns of punishment if not completed. This can make him exercise his will power, attend to assigned task & finish it properly.

1. Implicit volitional attention:

Attention is obtained by repeated acts of will.

One has to struggle hard for keeping oneself attentive; it requires a strong will power, keen attention & strong motives for accomplishment of the task.

For example, the attention paid during examination days for securing good grades

2. Explicit volitional attention:

This type of attention is aroused without the play of will or without making a conscious effort on our part.

For example, we give involuntary attention to loud sounds, bright lights & strong odors etc

INVOLUNTARY ATTENTION

Aroused by the instincts is called enforced non-volitional attention.

For example, giving attention out of curiosity.

ENFORCED NVA

Aroused by the sentiments is called spontaneous non-volitional attention.

For example, we give somewhat automatic or spontaneous attention towards some objects, idea, person around which our sentiments are formed.

SPONTANEOUS NVA

Span of attention: The maximum amount of material

that can be attended in one period of attention is called span to attention. This can be visual attention or auditory attention. Span of visual attention: Experiments have been carried out to measure the span of visual attention by making brief exposures to a number of object. The time of exposure is very short, ranging from 1/100 to 1/5 of a second.

DURATION AND DEGREE OF ATTENTION

The number of auditory impressions perceived at a single instance is slightly greater.

An adult can perceive eight sounds given rapidly in succession.

But when sounds are given in a rhythm, a much larger number of sounds can be perceived.

Span of auditory attention:

To sustain attention, is to concentrate one’s activity continuously upon some object or a happening or a problem.

The individual attention always remains on tract & the activity proceeds systematically without any serious distraction.

All internal as well as external factors of getting attention can be helpful in this track

Sustained Attention (Act of Fixation of mind):

While paying attention towards an object or an event it is not possible to hold attention continuously with the same intensity for a longer duration.

It is constantly shifting from one object to another, from one aspect of the situation to another.

We can perform only one voluntary act at a time & not two or more acts at a time.

We can quickly shift attention from one voluntary act to another.

Shifting Attention:

Division of attention means to attend to two or more tasks simultaneously.

Psychologists say we cannot attend to two things at a given time, & there is no possibility of division of attention.

The reason for paying attention to more than one task at a given time can be:

In performing two tasks simultaneously one of the two activities requires no attention.

Attention rapidly shifts from one task to the other

Division of Attention:

Distraction means any stimulus whose presence interferes with the process of attention or draws away attention from the object which we wish to attend. -(HR Bhatia-1968)

Distraction

External Factors/Environmental factors: Noise, music, improper lighting, uncomfortable seats, unfavorable temperature, inadequate ventilation etc.

Internal factors: Emotional disturbances, ill health, boredom, lack of motivation, fatigue etc.

SOURCE OF DISTRACTION