Attention

Definition:
“Attention is the concentration of consciousness upon one object
rather than others”

Definition of attention by
rose
“Attention is the process of getting an object of thought clearly before
the mind”

Objectives and subjective factors that determine our attention:

It is true that the attention is a selective activity and volition of our

mind is very important to determine our attention. But despite this,
there are some factors in the objects as well as in the individual himself
which can influence our attention.

These factors which determine our attention are divided into two
types:

1. Objective factors:
These factors pertain to particular aspects of objects which are
inherent in objects.

Movement:
A moving object draws our attention more easily than a stationary
object.

For example, flickering lights draw our attention than non-flickering

lights. A moving vehicle draws our attention more than a station
vehicle.

Intensity:
More intense light, sound or smell draws our attention more easily
than less intense one.

For example, a high voltage bulb will be observed quickly than low
voltage bulb, very bright color than dim color, or a very loud sound
than a normal sound.

Novelty:
New kind of objects draws our attention quickly. Advertising
agencies adopt this technique very effectively.

For example, latest fashion dress, shoes, pen, etc.

Size:
A bigger or a smaller object draws the attention of people very easily
than average level size of any object.
For example, a 7’ taller man, a 2’ dwarf, a very fat man; a very huge
multistoried building can draw our attention quickly.

Abrupt Change:
A change in our environment draws our attention quickly.

For example, regular sound of a moving clock does not draw our
attention, but the movement it stops, our attention is diverted.

A show piece placed in a new place, a radio playing a song stop due
to electricity failure draws our attention.

Repetition:
When a stimulus is presented repeatedly our attention is diverted,
For example, repeated horn of a fire brigade or ambulance.

Clarity:
An object or a 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,

Colors:
Colorful objects draw our attention more easily than black or white
objects.
For example, At white wall we draw three lines Gray, Brown and
Red, at a glance we see red first because it is dark which attract us.

Contrast:
An object that is strikingly different from its background draws our
attention.

For example, a black spot on a white shirt.

1. Subjective:
These factors refer to individuals. These are inherent in people.
There are many subjective factors which determine our attention.

They are:

Interest:
Objects of our interest draw our attention immediately.

For example, while moving on 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.
Motives:
Motives are powerful forces which make us to divert our attention
to stimulus.

For example, a hotel will draw the attention of a hungry person

because he has a drive for food.

Mental set:
Our set or readiness of mind is very important in attending to any
stimulus.

For example, when a person is in fantasy he may not listen to any

call. On the other hand, if he is writing for a call eagerly, he will listen
to that immediately.

Emotional state:
Attention is disturbed during emotional state. It also affects our
perception.

For example, when a person is highly excited due to fear, he may not
listen or understand what others say.

Habits:
Our attention is diverted automatically towards the things to which
we are habituated.

For example, a smoker remembers smoking even if he is otherwise

busy in some work. A person habituated to take a food at a
 particular time remembers food at correct time. Attention of a nurse
is automatically diverted towards a serious patient.

Attention span
Attention span is the amount of concentrated time one can spend on a
task without becoming distracted. Most educators such as
psychologists agree that the ability to focus attention on a task is crucial
for the achievement of one's goal.

Length of the span

Estimates for the length of human attention span are highly variable
and depend on the precise definition of attention being used.

Transient attention is a short-term response to a stimulus that

temporarily attracts/distracts attention. Researchers disagree on the
exact amount of human transient attention span; some say it may be as
short as 8 seconds

Selective sustained attention, also known as focused attention, is the

level of attention that produces the consistent results on a task over
time. Some state that the average human attention span is
approximately 5 minutes; others state that most healthy teenagers and
adults are unable to sustain attention on one thing for more than about
20 minutes at a time, although they can choose repeatedly to re-focus
on the same thing. This ability to renew attention permits people to
"pay attention" to things that last for more than a few minutes, such as
long films.
Attention span, as measured by sustained attention, or the time spent
continuously on task, varies with age. Older children are capable of
longer periods of attention than younger children.

For time-on-task measurements, the type of activity used in the test

affects the results, as people are generally capable of a longer attention
span when they are doing something that they find enjoyable or
intrinsically motivating Attention is also increased if the person is able
to perform the task fluently, compared to a person who has difficulty
performing the task, or to the same person when he or she is just
learning the task. Fatigue, hunger, noise, and emotional stress reduce
the time focused on the task. Common estimates for sustained
attention to a freely chosen task range from about five minutes for a
two-year-old child, to a maximum of around 20 minutes in older
children and adults.

After losing attention from a topic, a person may restore it by taking a

rest, doing a different kind of activity, changing mental focus, or
deliberately choosing to re-focus on the first topic.

Measurement
Many different tests for attention span have been used in different
populations and in different times. Some tests measure short-term,
focused attention abilities (which is typically normal in people with
ADHD), and others provide information about how easily distracted the
test-taker is (typically a significant problem in people with ADHD). Tests
like the DeGangi's Test of Attention in Infants (TAI) and Wechsler
intelligence Scale for Children -IV (WISC-IV) are commonly used to test
for attention-related issues in young children when interviews and
observations are inadequate. Older tests, like the Continuous
Performance Test and the Porteus Maze Test, have been rejected by
some experts. These tests are typically criticized as not actually
measuring attention, or as being inappropriate for some populations,
or as not providing clinically useful information.

Variability in test scores can be produced by small changes in the

testing environment.

For example, test-takers will usually remain on task for longer periods
of time if the examiner is visibly present in the room than if the
examiner is absent.

Modern society
Some authors, such as Neil Postman in his book, “Amusing our self to
Death” believe that the attention span of humans is decreasing as
modern technology, especially television, increases. Internet browsing
may have a similar effect because it enables users to easily move from
one page to another. Most internet users spend less than one minute
on the average website.
What is fluctuation of
attention?
A term that is applied to the changing of sensory clarity even though
the stimulation stays a constant.

When the ticking of a watch fades out and reappears, or a dim star
comes and goes, fluctuation of attention is often assumed to depend
upon some sort of fluctuation process in the brain.

A hypnotized subject be made apparently inattentive to painful

stimulation.

Reversible configuration:
If you fixate the center, or any part of either figure, you will note that
now one aspect stands out than the other. At one moment,

For example,

You see the black figure as though on a white background, the

moments you see the while figure as though on a blank ground. The
frequency of such figure ground fluctuation can influence by trying
to hold one as long as possible. The figure will change despite your
effort to hold it, but it will very likely change less often.