Attention

                                       Attention

Attention is the term used or given to the perceptual processes that select certain inputs for inclusion in our conscious experience or awareness at any time. So it is the process involving the act of listening and concentrating on a topic object or events for the attainment desires of end.

Definition-

According to Dumville,"Attention is the concentration of consciousness upon one object other than another ".

According to Ross,"Attention is the process of getting an object or thought clearly before the mind ".

Types of Attention

1-Voluntary
2-Involuntary
3-Naturalistic
4-Sustained
5-Divided
6-Selective
7-Alternating

1-Voluntary Attention-When the exercise will is called upon it became voluntary attention because it demands the conscious effort on our path it is least automatic and spontaneous like that of non-voluntary attention.

2-Involuntary Attention-This types of attentions is arouse without the play of will. Here,we attained to an object or condition without making any effort.

3-Naturalistic Attention-Some time we focus objects on the basis of our habitual ability need.

4-Sustained Attention-It is ability to focus on one specific task for a continuous amount of time without being destructive.

5-Divided Attention-It is the ability to focus to or more responses simultaneously. Divided attention is obtained refer to as multitasking.

6-Selective Attention-Selective is the ability to select from many factors or stimuli and to focus on only the one that you want while filtering out the other distractions.

7-Alternating Attention-It is the ability to switch your Focus back and forth between task that require different cognitive demands.

Determinants of Attention

1-External Factors
2-Internal Factors

1-External Factors-These condition are generally those characteristics of outside situations or stimuli which makes the strongest aid for capturing our attention.

These can be classified as

1-Nature of the stimuli-All types of stimuli are not able to bring the same degree of attention. A pictures attract attention more readily than words. Among the pictures,the picture of human beings invite more attentions and those of human beings related to beautiful women or handsome men,who attracts more attention. In this way an effective stimulus should always be chosen for capturing maximum attention.

2-Intensity and size of the stimulus-Incomparison with the weak stimulus the immense stimulus attracts more attention of an individual. Our attention becomes easily directed towards a loud sound,a bright light or a strong smell and also a large building will be more readily attended to,than a small one.

3-Contrast,change and variety-Change and variety strike attention more easily than sameness and absence of change,e.g we do not notice the ticking sound of a clock put on the wall until it stops ticking that is any change in the attention. The factors,contact or change is highly responsible for capturing attention of the organism and contributes more than the intensity,size or nature of the stimulus.

4-Repetitions of stimulus-Repetition is the factor of great importance in securing attention. Because one way ignore a stimulus at first instance,but if it is repeated for several times it captures our attention.e.g. a misspelled word is more likely to be noticed,if it occurs twice in the some paragraphs than,if it occurs only one.

5-Movement of the stimulus-The moving stimulus catches our attention more quickly than a stimulus that does not move. We are more sensitive to objects that move in our field of vision.e.g advertisers make use of this fact and try to catch the attention of  peoples through moving electric lights.

6-Duration and Degree of stimulus-To attend a number of stimuli in one short "presentation ". This ability of an individual is evaluated in terms of the span of attention,which differ from person to person and even situations to situations.

Internal or Subjective Factors-

1-Interest-Interest is said to be the mother of attention. We attend to objects in which we have interest,we would like to watch a movie or a serial in TV because we are interest in the subject around which the movie or serial revolves.

2-Motives-Our basic needs and motives to a great extent,determine our attention,thirst,hunger,sex,curiosity,fear are some of the important motives that influence attention.e.g    small children get attracted towards eatables.

3-Mind Set-Person's readiness to respond determines his attention. If we are expecting a stimulus,occurance of that stimulus along with many other stimuli may not come in the way of attending to that particular stimulus. At a time when students are expecting the examination timetable by the end of the semester the time table put out on the notice board along with other notice would attract their attention easily.

4-Moods and Attitudes-When we are disturbed or in angry mood,we notice the smallest mistake of others very easily. Likewise our favourable and unfavourable attitude also determines our attention.

Characteristics of Attention-

1-Central Autonomic Process-Attention is central autonomic process because of this reasons psychologists like Tichner have used the term "Give Attention " instead of Attention. Central nervous system has main function in this process.
Example-Memory,imagination and thinking.

2-Clarity to Perceptual Organisation-Perception becomes clear in attention. If attention is removed from the process of perception then the clarity of perceptual organisation ends. Perception of any stimulus or stimulus organisations is not possible.

3-A types of Reinforcement to sensory process-There are two meaning of the word reinforcement one is concerned with procedure and second is function.

According to H.J.Eysneck et al (1972),"It is said to be a mechanism which,some how connects a particular response to a particular stimuli."

4-Response selection-Attention is a selective mental process. It is seen that the individual,at a time concentrates his attention only on one stimuli from the number of stimuli in the environment.

5-Stimuli are brought into the Process of Consciousness-When a student sits in a class then there are all these things,other students in class,furniture,walls,teachers,black boards etc.are all in his consciousness but only some of the above given stimulus are at his focus of consciousness.

6-Dynamic-Dynamic is the process of Attention,that in a second Attention moves from one objects or from one part  of the same objects to the other part.

7-Attention is Exploratory-According to R.S.Woodworth, "Attention is mobile because it is exploratory it continuously seeks something fresh for examination ".

8-Narrowness-Some of the process of attention takes place this extension is limited or narrow instead of being extended. The experiment done by the help of Tachistoscope prove that the extension of attention is up to six stimuli.

9-Set or Readiness-It is found in all types of attention of man because of this readiness the person feels it easy and convenient to react for the process of attention.

10-Two aspects of Attention-When a stimulus or group of stimuli is in the centre of our consciousness then the attention process is of positive aspects and a as soon as the stimulus is removed from the conscious the attention is said to be in negative aspects.

11-Physical adjustment-The subject is in a definite posture at a time of attention,because many internal or external changes take place at this time. It is seen that eyes,ear ,nose etc.