home Treatment and prevention What is attention? Types of attention

What is attention? Types of attention

Attention is the concentration of the subject’s activity in this moment time on any real or ideal object.

Attention is a dynamic characteristic of the flow cognitive activity: it expresses the primary connection of mental activity with a specific object on which it is focused as if in focus. Attention is a selective focus on a particular object and concentration on it, depth in cognitive activity directed at the object.

Let's look at the main types of attention: 1 .arbitrary - consciously directed and regulated attention, in which the subject consciously chooses the object to which it is directed. Voluntary attention occurs where the object to which attention is directed does not itself attract it. Voluntary attention is always indirect in nature. Voluntary attention is always active (according to James). And one more characteristic of voluntary attention: it is always there. act of will; 2..involuntary. Associated with reflex settings. It is installed and supported independently from conscious intention of a person

Voluntary attention is formed from involuntary attention. But voluntary attention can turn into involuntary. The highest forms of voluntary attention arise in a person in the process of work. They are a product of historical development. Labor is aimed at satisfying human needs. The product of this labor is therefore of immediate interest. But obtaining this product is associated with an activity that, in its content and method of execution, may not arouse immediate interest. Therefore, performing this activity requires a transition from involuntary to voluntary attention. In this case, attention should be the more focused and prolonged, the more complex it becomes work activity man in the process of historical development. Work requires and it cultivates the highest forms of human attention. 3.sensory attention (relates to perception); 4.intellectual attention (refers to reproduced ideas). Basic properties of attention:

1.Concentration attention - the opposite of its dispersion - means the presence of a connection with a certain object or aspect of activity and expresses the intensity of this connection. Concentration is concentration. Concentration of attention means that there is a focus in which mental or conscious activity is concentrated. Concentration is a person’s ability to focus on the main thing in his activity, distracted from everything else. What is currently outside the scope of the task being solved.

2.volume - the number of homogeneous objects that attention covers. This indicator largely depends on the organization of the memorized material and its nature and is usually taken equal to 5±2. The volume of attention is a variable value, depending on how connected the content on which attention is focused is, and on the ability to meaningfully connect and structure the material.

3.distributability attention - the ability of a person to have several heterogeneous objects in consciousness at the same time or to perform complex activity consisting of many simultaneous operations. The distribution of attention depends on a number of conditions, first of all, on how connected various objects are to each other and how automated the actions between which attention should be distributed are. The more closely the objects are connected and the greater the automation, the easier the distribution of attention is. The ability to distribute attention can be exercised.

4.sustainability attention - the duration during which concentration of attention is maintained. Experimental studies have shown that attention is primarily subject to periodic involuntary fluctuations. Periods of fluctuations in attention are usually 2-3 seconds, reaching a maximum of 12 seconds. The most essential condition for the stability of attention is the ability to reveal new aspects and connections in the subject on which it is focused. Our attention becomes less subject to fluctuations, more stable when we are involved in solving certain problems, in intellectual operations we reveal new content in the subject of our perception or our thought. In order for attention to any object to be maintained, its awareness must be a dynamic process. The subject must develop before our eyes, revealing new content to us. Monotony dulls attention, monotony extinguishes it. Sustained attention is a form of objective consciousness. It presupposes the unity of subject relevance of diverse content.

Thus, meaningful coherence, uniting diverse, dynamic content into a more or less coherent system, concentrated around one center, related to one subject, constitutes the main prerequisite for sustainable attention.

The stability of attention depends, of course, in addition, on a number of conditions: the characteristics of the material, the degree of its difficulty, familiarity, understandability, the attitude of the subject towards it, the degree of his interest in this material, from individual personality traits,

5.switchability attention - the ability to quickly switch off from some settings and join new ones that correspond to changed conditions. The ability to switch means flexibility of attention. Switchability means a conscious and meaningful movement of attention from one object to another. Ease of switching attention different people varies and depends on a number of conditions. These include the relationship between the content of previous and subsequent activities and the subject’s attitude towards each of them: the more interesting the previous and

The less interesting the subsequent activity is, the more difficult it is, obviously, to switch. A well-known role in switching attention is played by individual characteristics subject, in particular his temperament. Switching attention can be trained.

6.selectivity attention is associated with the ability to successfully tune (in the presence of interference) to the perception of information related to a conscious goal.

7. distractibility attention is a consequence of the lack of volitional effort and interest in an object or activity.

Attention is inextricably linked with consciousness as a whole, and therefore with all aspects of consciousness. Indeed, the role of emotional factors is clearly reflected in the dependence on interest that is especially significant for attention. Meaning thought processes we have already noted. The role of the will finds direct expression in the fact of voluntary attention. Since attention can be distinguished by various properties, which, as experience shows, are largely independent of each other, it is possible, based on the different properties of attention, to distinguish different types attention, namely: 1) broad and narrow attention - depending on the volume; 2) well and poorly distributed; 3)fast and slow switchable; 4) concentrated and fluctuating; 5) stable and unstable.

Development of attention. The development of attention in children occurs in the process of learning and upbringing. The formation of interests and accustoming to systematic, disciplined work are of decisive importance for its development. Vygotsky wrote that the history of a child’s attention is the history of the development of the organization of his behavior, that the key to genetic understanding, that the key to genetic understanding of attention should be sought not inside, but outside the child’s personality.

In the development of attention in a child, one can note, first of all, its diffuse, unstable nature in early childhood. So, if a child is given a toy, and then another one after it, he will immediately let go of the first one. However, this provision is not absolute. Along with the above-mentioned fact, another one must be taken into account: it happens that some object will attract the child’s attention so that once he begins to manipulate it, nothing can distract him.

Until senior preschool, and sometimes even primary school age, a child has involuntary attention. The development of voluntary attention is one of the most important further acquisitions, closely related to the formation of will in a child.

Voluntary attention does not mature in the body, but is formed in the child during his communication with adults. As Vygotsky showed, in the early phases of development, the function of voluntary attention is divided between two people - an adult and a child. The first one selects an object from the environment by pointing at it and calling it a word; the child responds to this signal by following a gesture, grasping an object or repeating a word. Thus, this object stands out for the child from the external field. Subsequently, children begin to set goals on their own. It should also be noted the close connection of voluntary attention with speech. The development of voluntary attention in a child manifests itself first in the subordination of his behavior to the speech instructions of adults, and then, as he masters speech, in the subordination of his behavior to his own speech instructions. Vygotsky writes that from the very first days of a child’s life, the development of his attention occurs in an environment that includes the so-called double series of stimuli that evoke attention. The first row is the surrounding objects themselves, which with their bright, unusual properties attract the child’s attention. On the other hand, this is the speech of an adult, the words he pronounces, which initially act as stimulus-instructions that direct the child’s involuntary attention. Along with mastering active speech, the child begins to control the primary process of his own attention, first in relation to other people, orienting their own attention with the word addressed to them in the right direction, and then in relation to himself.

In the development of attention in a child, its intellectualization is essential, which occurs in the process of the child’s mental development: attention, based first on mental content, begins to switch to mental connections. As a result, the child's attention span expands. Volume development is closely related to mental development child.

In older up to school age Concentration and stability quickly develop. At primary school age, voluntary attention and all properties of attention continue to develop. But the next sharp leap in its development will occur in adolescence, when attention, like all other cognitive functions, is intellectualized.

Determination of attention and levels of development according to Dobrynin Attention as the direction and concentration of our mental activity. By direction we mean the choice of activity and the maintenance of this choice. By concentration we mean the deepening of a given activity and detachment, distraction from any other activity. Levels of attention development. 1. Passive attention. A) Forced attention The cause of such forced attention is, first of all, extremely strong, intense stimulation. A loud shot, a bright flash of lightning, a strong push - all this will inevitably tear us away from our usual activities and force us to pay attention to strong irritation. B) Involuntary attention. The duration of irritation can also attract our attention. We may not notice a weak short sound. But if it lasts long enough, it will involuntarily attract us. This must be especially said not about continuous, but about intermittent irritation, now arising, now disappearing, now intensifying, now weakening. Finally, a moving object attracts our attention more than a stationary object. B) Habitual attention. We may not notice continuous irritation, such as engine noise, if we are used to it. But as soon as it stops, we immediately notice it. Contrast matters a lot. But the contrast largely depends on ourselves, on our attitude to surrounding irritations. Therefore, some of our activity can sometimes manifest itself in passive attention. 2. Voluntary attention. This attention truly fully expresses the activity of the individual. We say that voluntary attention is an act of our will. We say that our activity is expressed in our will. Will is the conscious making of a decision and its execution. No matter how elementary and simple an act of will may be, it presupposes a conscious presentation of a goal and a plan of action. Voluntary attention presupposes this consciousness of purpose and planning of our actions. Active attention is expressed in the expedient direction of our activities in a certain direction. 3. Spontaneous attention (after voluntary) is the result of the development of the personality and its qualities. This type of attention does not completely coincide with either voluntary or involuntary attention. The fact is that when we become interested in work that initially did not seem to attract us, then little or no more volitional effort is required to continue this work. If initially we took on it with difficulty, for example, reading a difficult book, then the more we read into the book, the more it begins to occupy us by itself, and our attention from voluntary becomes, as it were, involuntary.

Galperin on the nature of attention and ways of its formation. The nature of attention according to Galperin. The most diverse views on the nature of attention are based on two cardinal facts: 1. Attention nowhere appears as an independent process. Both about myself and external surveillance it is revealed as the direction, mood and concentration of any mental activity, therefore, only as a side or property of this activity. 2. Attention does not have its own separate, specific product. Its result is the improvement of every activity to which it is attached. Meanwhile, it is the presence of a characteristic product that serves as the main evidence of the presence of the corresponding function. Attention does not have such a product, and this most of all speaks against the assessment of attention as a separate form of mental activity. Formation of attention. The formation of mental actions ultimately leads to the formation of thought, and thought is a double formation: conceivable objective content and actual thinking about it as a mental action directed at this content. The analysis further showed that the second part of this dyad is nothing other than attention, and that this internal attention is formed from control over the objective content of the action. Understanding the psyche as an orienting activity means approaching it not from the side of “phenomena of consciousness,” but from the side of its objective role in behavior. Unlike any other, mental orientation offers an image - the environment of action and the action itself - an image on the basis of which action is controlled. Controlling an action based on an image requires mapping a task to its execution. Therefore, the role forms a necessary and essential part of such management. Forms of control may be different, as well as the degree of their development; but without control over the course of action, managing it—this main task of orienting activity—would be completely impossible. In one form or another, with varying degrees of isolation and development, control is an integral element of the psyche as an orienting activity. Let us assume that attention represents just such a function of control - after all, this even directly in some ways comes close to its usual understanding - and the most difficult of all objections to attention as an independent form of mental activity immediately disappears: the absence of a separate nature of the product.

Broadbent's model. Experimental facts and comments. Early selection theory. This stage was completed by the model of the information processing system developed by the English psychologist Donald Broadbent. It should be noted that the author described the first versions of his model in the form of mechanical devices. The starting point of the model is the idea that the human central nervous system is an information transmission channel with limited throughput (capacity). According to D. Bredbent, a channel of limited capacity can transmit only a small amount of information per unit of time. C – stage sensory parallel processing; sensory storage. P – stage perceptual, sequential processing; Only those impressions that have some common physical feature can pass through: direction, intensity, tone, color, etc. Filter– protects the P-stage from overload, blocking the inputs of all but one relevant stimulation channel. Channel - in psychology it is defined as a conductor or path for transferring sensory messages of a class that can be rejected or selected for further processing. Traisman. Based on data from her own research and other materials of experimental criticism of the filter model, E. Treisman began to revise the first concept of early selection formulated by D. Broadbent. She presented the main ideas of such a revision in the form of the so-called attenuator model. According to this model, after analyzing all incoming stimulation at the first sensory stage, both messages are sent to the filter. Based on certain physical sign, the filter weakens (attenuates) the intensity of irrelevant signals and freely passes signals of the relevant channel. As it turned out later, this assumption is supported by data from psychophysiological studies. Evoked potentials for an inattentive message are much weaker than for an attentive message. Both non-relevant and irrelevant stimulation can be processed up to the analysis of meaning: relevant as a rule, and irrelevant sometimes. E. Treisman suggested that every familiar word is stored in the long-term memory system in the form of a vocabulary unit.

State educational and pedagogical Publishing house of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR, M., 1955.

Focused is attention directed to any one object or type of activity. For example, a person can write, listen, read, do some work with concentration, or follow something that fascinates him. sports competition etc. In all these cases, his attention is focused only on one given type of activity and does not extend to others: when we read with concentration, we do not notice what is happening around us and often do not even hear the questions addressed to us; football players who are focused on executing the tactical combination they have planned may not notice the tactical move being prepared by the opposing team.

Focused attention is distinguished by a high degree of intensity, which makes it a necessary condition for the success of certain types of activities that are important for a person: we require concentrated attention from students in a lesson, from an athlete at the start, from a surgeon during an operation, etc., since only with with concentrated attention these activities can be completed successfully.

Distributed is attention directed simultaneously to several objects or activities. We are talking about distributed attention, when a student listens and simultaneously records a lecture, when a sports referee during a football match watches not just one, but all the players in his field of vision and notices the actions and mistakes of each of them, when the teacher explains lesson and at the same time monitors the behavior of students when the driver drives a car and at the same time carefully monitors all obstacles on his way, etc. In all these cases, the successful performance of an activity depends on the person’s ability to direct his attention simultaneously to several heterogeneous objects or actions.

With distributed attention, each of the types of activity it covers occurs with a relatively lower intensity of attention than when it is focused on only one object or action. However, in general, distributed attention requires significantly more effort and expenditure of nervous energy from a person than concentrated attention.

Distributed attention is a necessary condition for the successful performance of many complex activities, which by their very structure require the simultaneous participation of diverse functions or operations. It is necessary for the student recording the lecture, as he must listen and understand the content of the lecture and at the same time record it. At the same time, it is necessary to write down what has already been heard and processed, while simultaneously perceiving and thinking through what is new and further that the lecturer continues to present.

This is only possible with distributed attention, and not with concentrated attention: if a student concentrates on listening to a lecture, he will stop writing it down; if his concentrated attention is directed to writing, he will not be able to listen to the further content of the lecture. Divided attention required sports referee, obliged to monitor various simultaneously developing events during the game. It is necessary for the coach and teacher, since they are in their pedagogical activity must simultaneously direct their attention to both the content of knowledge that they present to students and how their presentation is perceived by listeners.

The physiological basis of concentrated attention is the optimal intensity of excitatory processes in those areas of the cerebral cortex that are associated with this type of activity, while simultaneously developing a strong inhibitory process in the rest of the cerebral cortex. Physiological processes in the cerebral cortex have a different character during distributed attention, when several functionally different areas of the cortex work simultaneously with sufficient intensity. For example, when listening and recording a lecture, the auditory, associative and motor centers associated with hand movements when writing work simultaneously.

Research by I. P. Pavlov shows that excitatory processes in these different areas of the cortex during distributed attention occur with varying degrees of intensity: those operations that are most significant in this type of activity (for example, listening and understanding a lecture) require intensive work of the corresponding centers of the cortex, while less significant operations and those subordinate to the first (in this case, recording a lecture) can be performed with a much weaker intensity of excitatory processes in the centers that control them, which during habitual activities may even be in a somewhat inhibited state.

"Is not it ordinary thing, - said I.P. Pavlov on this occasion, - that we, being primarily occupied with one thing, one thought, can simultaneously perform another task, very familiar to us, that is, work with those parts of the hemispheres that are located to a certain extent inhibition by the mechanism of external inhibition, since the point of the hemisphere associated with our main task, of course, is then highly excited?

The ability for concentrated or, conversely, distributed attention is not innate. It has a conditioned reflex character; it is based on the formation and consolidation of appropriate temporary connections. The ability for both types of attention can be developed in the process practical activities. It is pedagogically important to educate and develop both of these types of attention in students, since they are equally necessary during the lesson. various types activity: for example, the same person should have distributed attention during a sports game and focused on an educational or training session.

Cultivating the ability to focus attention is based on the formation of temporary connections, the most important part of which are the corresponding inhibitory processes in areas of the cortex not associated with this type of activity. So, for example, a teacher, accustoming students to concentrated attention in class, achieves this through systematic comments and demands made from lesson to lesson, which ultimately become a conditioned signal for the emergence of concentrated attention at the beginning of the lesson.

The development of the ability for distributed attention proceeds somewhat differently. It requires improving skills in those activities between which attention is distributed. We can successfully divide our attention between listening and taking notes at the same time if we are proficient in both listening and writing. When we do not have the skill in at least one of these two types of activities (for example, we do not know how to listen, we have not learned to quickly and accurately identify what is essential and important in the words of the teacher, we do not have the skill to immediately formulate the acquired knowledge in our own words), this activity will require such intense concentrated attention from us that the second type of activity (recording a lecture) will be impossible.

That is why, in an effort to develop the ability for distributed attention, we must first perfectly master the techniques of these types of activities. A coach who requires distributed attention from members of his sports team when solving certain tactical problems during a football match must, during the training process, instill in them the skills to perfectly perform various tactical techniques of the game.

Sports activities provide ample opportunities for developing both focused and distributed attention among those involved. The first develops in the process of practicing sports such as running, jumping, throwing, shooting, barbell, rowing, etc. Distributed attention is cultivated during exercise sports games, wrestling, boxing, etc.

Focusing is the path to concentration

Using the idea of a target located inside our mind, we can clearly see that our goal should be to get as close to the bull's eye as possible. Of course, this is easier said than done, as anyone who has tried to do something like this knows. And yet you should not fall into despair at the first failures. The difficulty of such a seemingly easy task has been recognized by sages and spiritual mentors at all times. In Bhagavad-gita Arjuna says: “The mind is so restless, fickle. The mind is obstinate, stubborn and self-willed that it is difficult to curb it, like the wind.” It is not difficult to verify the veracity of such words. Quite often we are faced with the turmoil of our own thoughts, with the tormenting melancholy, our own stubbornness and inability to concentrate. And, having embarked on the path of contemplative practice, we, perhaps for the first time, begin to take a closer look at the properties of our own mind. There is a lot to discover and a lot to learn. Geshe Rabten describes meditation as “a means of controlling, taming and, on occasion, transforming the mind.” The path to such an ambitious goal begins with the simplest thing: we begin to develop concentration. This includes a level of sustained focused attention and additionally includes an element of introspection. This state of mind is significantly different from everyday consciousness. A simple example will help you understand the concept of one part of the mind observing another part. Observe the flow of your own consciousness by monitoring your thoughts.

Each person is unique; each of us has enormous potential to realize ourselves and our capabilities to achieve everything we want. On own experience, living it in its entirety, and not from books or methodological manuals, you find yourself, reveal all the strength and power of your potential and capabilities. You can be nobody, you can fit into the framework and parameters set by society, or you can create yourself anew, gain complete independence and freedom from other people’s opinions, judgments and any obligations. The choice is yours. .

Direct observation

Just sit quietly for a while; A few minutes will be enough. Close your eyes and turn your attention within. Try to keep track of what's going on in your mind and remember everything (this is easier said than done). When finished, write down all the thoughts that ran through your head in that short period of time. The results are usually amazing; old memories, associations, future plans and incoherent thoughts run through at a rapid pace. This is where the idea of slowing down the stream of consciousness comes to the rescue. The first attempts to focus are often discouraging.

Unwanted thoughts seem to appear out of nowhere. Developing such a skill into a permanent and sustainable ability of our consciousness takes time and effort. This will not happen within a week, and there will be disappointment. Achieving something like this without personal dedication will not be easy. Parting words from experienced people always sound benevolent and encouraging: don’t give up, go forward. Don't let your thoughts carry you away, let them go. Direct your mind to the object of contemplation, the goal set. Let thoughts flow as usual. Stay focused and attentive.

Focused attention requires, for its development, the development of the ability to concentrate consciousness. Unfortunately, this special quality carries with it the taint of apprenticeship and forced training, which often prove useless. Too persistently we associate concentration with mental stress, intense effort and difficult task. Concentration is not a goal in itself, but a necessary precondition that prevents distraction and distraction. Without concentration, it is impossible to hold any of the subjects of meditation in the mind. Meditation begins with concentration, focused attention. This is the first step, but not the last. Concentration needs an object, a target that we must aim at.

06.11.2012 gost.vvv

An important feature of the human psyche is focus, allowing on any one subject, phenomenon.

The term “focus of attention” refers to the selection by consciousness of a specific object and the direction of full attention to it.

The role of concentrated attention in our lives can be different and can also be perceived differently. It is certainly necessary for a complete, in-depth study of any object.

At the same time, excessive attention on a single fragment of the surrounding world leads to a sharp narrowing of the overall range of attention. And it creates difficulties in the perception of other important objects.

Therefore it should be here. You need to focus your attention only when necessary, and not all the time.

But today, to achieve success in many activities focus and its sustainability are vital. They characterize the duration, depth, and intensity of our mental activity.

Exactly focus distinguishes people who are passionate about some activity and who, if necessary, can switch off from various side stimuli for the sake of the main thing.

But even with very overstable and concentrated attention, there are always involuntary short-term changes in the degree of its tension and intensity. These are fluctuations in attention.

Are there ways to develop concentration? For example, can you force yourself to carefully read a very complex or boring text? This can be done by reading it several times, setting specific goals for yourself.

We are reading this for the first time for general information. The second time - to master the general logic of the plot and material. The third time is to highlight the thesis (main idea). In other words, you need to learn to look at familiar, familiar phenomena from a different point of view.

Particularly important. It allows you to correctly understand the position of business partners, competitors, consumer desires, and market trends.

For an entrepreneur focus is needed in everything from organizing a business, its management, drafting, execution of daily documents and ending with conducting business negotiations, concluding contacts, agreements.

Comments (1)

Switching attention always depends on two parameters:
1) Novelty of the situation
2) The importance of the situation for the person.
The higher the ratio of these two parameters, the more likely it is that a person’s attention will switch to this particular object.

There is also the so-called indicative reflex, discovered by Pavlov for dogs. But it applies to all higher animals:
You are walking down the street, clearly hear some sound or call and certainly turn your head towards the noise - this is a natural reaction that appeared back in ancient times, when speed of reaction was required when meeting a hidden predator.

About focusing.
This is not a simple matter. What is needed here is will. And interest. The more interesting a task is for a person, the higher the likelihood that he will be able to concentrate on it. The less this matter interests him, the more likely it is that novelty and importance will force him to pay attention to something else.
Will is needed precisely in order to return attention to the subject being studied, even if it is not important or interesting.
But this is not given to everyone. But the will can be trained.

But there are also physical problems with attention. There is such a disease as ADD - attention deficit disorder. It is associated with a reduced content of the neurotransmitter Dopamine, or, to be precise, with its poor transportation in the brain.
This gives rise to symptoms such as lethargy, excessive thoughtfulness, poor facial expressions, inability to learn from one’s mistakes and other not so pleasant things.
Surprisingly different. If the same person does something INTERESTING for him, then this symptom disappears without a trace, since motivation greatly increases the level of Dopamine and the person seems to live natural life. For some time, while he is engaged in this matter.
But as soon as he returns to his previous uninteresting occupation, apathy, depression and dullness return.

What exactly is the severity of people with ADD? Is this a disease and are there such people among us?
The answers will be:
1) Yes, they are among us
2) They are most likely unaware of their illness
3) It is not so easy to distinguish ADD from a malingerer, which is why doctors do not like this diagnosis, it is too slippery.

But in order to understand whether a person has an attention deficit or not, it is enough to independently conduct the following experiment:
It is necessary that UNFAMILIAR information goes into TWO channels of perception.
Unfamiliar - so that a person does not make a forecast based on past experience
2 channels - because patients with ADD can perceive information only through one channel of attention.
That is, turn on the TV with important news and ask a friend or friend at the same time to tell you something important from today.

And then, you try to reproduce information from the news and information from a friend.
If you have an attention deficit, you will not succeed, and you will understand this after just a couple of minutes of the experiment. If everything is in order, then you will cope with this task :)

And in conclusion: Attention is an important mechanism associated with human consciousness. It is designed to highlight the most important and significant at the moment.
If you love your work, then attention will help you in it, and if work is painful for you, attention will play against you - always distracting you from matters important for your organization.

As you know, attention plays a big role in the life of every person. But not everyone knows that there is a fairly large number of its types, forms and qualities, the characteristics of which differ significantly from each other.

Concept of attention

Attention is not an independent cognitive process. If you ask the question about what attention is, then we can say that in itself it does not show anything and separately. However, it represents one of the most important components in the composition of cognitive activity, since it creates and controls functioning. Any activity is carried out consciously, so attention is also carried out

As a rule, it is a special state of consciousness. Thanks to attention, various things are directed and focused in order to more fully and clearly reflect reality. In addition, this concept is closely related to many sensory and mental processes. And this connection is most noticeable in sensations and numerous perceptions.

Characteristics of attention and its processes

Stability is presented in the form of the duration of attracting attention to the same objects or to the same tasks.
The process of concentration and forms of attention are an increase in the intensity of signals when the field of perception is limited. They offer a long delay of attention on some object, and also distract from other influences that do not matter to a person at this moment.
Concentration is seen as the result of concentrating on a specific object in order to obtain the most full information and the necessary information about it.
The distribution function and attentional processes are considered to be the subjectively experienced ability to hold a specific amount of various items at the same time.
The method of switchability represents the degree of speed of transition from a certain one type of activity to a completely different one (in the case of absent-mindedness, there is poor switchability).
Subjectivity is associated, first of all, with the ability to highlight any signals according to the task, significance, relevance, and so on.

Main types of attention

Attention is manifested through sensory and intellectual processes, as well as through practical actions using the goals and objectives of various activities. Thanks to this, there are the following main types of attention: motor, sensory, intentional, intellectual and unintentional.

The amount of volume is determined by the number of objects where the subject’s attention can be directed and concentrated in specific seconds of time. It is calculated through special devices - tachistoscopes. In an instant, a person can turn his attention to several present objects at once, as a rule, their number is from four to six.

Motor attention

What attention is is known to many, but if we're talking about about its motor form, it is characterized by certain additions. As a rule, motor attention is usually directed to movement and actions performed by a person. It allows you to more firmly and clearly understand the different techniques and methods that are used in practice. The motor type of attention directs and controls movements and actions. They, as a rule, are aimed at a specific subject, especially when they must be very clear and precise.

Sensory attention

Sensory attention can occur when objects affect sensory organs. Such forms of attention provide a fairly clear reflection of all objects and their characteristics. This manifests itself in the person’s present sensations. Because of sensory attention, the images that can appear in the mind are clear and distinct objects. This type can be visual, auditory, olfactory, and so on. As a rule, people especially exhibit visual and auditory types, the first of which have been studied best in psychology, since they are quite easy to understand and record.

Intelligent attention

The qualities of attention of the intellectual type are aimed at more serious functioning and effective operation of such necessary cognitive processes as thinking, memory and imagination. Because of this, a person can remember and reproduce the information received much better, as well as create clearer images in the process of imagination and think productively. Due to the fact that this type is characterized by the presence of an internal character and is almost inaccessible for research, it is the least studied, so it is difficult to give a clear definition of what attention is.

Voluntary attention

Voluntary or intentional attention appears when a person has a goal or task to be attentive to some object and to mental actions. Typically, this type of attention is aimed at regulating sensory and motor processes, as well as internal cognitive actions. The intentional variety may well become arbitrary in cases where a person needs to exercise volitional efforts so that his attention is directed and focused on a specific object that should be cognized.

Voluntary is also called active or volitional. The characteristic of this type of attention is that the direct initiative for its occurrence belongs to the person, and the method of its appearance is already carried out through the effort and will of the subject.

When the focus of attention is closely related to a conscious goal, then we are talking about the so-called voluntary form, which naturally accompanies human activity. It appears in situations where the subject is absorbed in some activity. In addition, such attention is closely related to the system of associations. This can be very relevant when the object of attention continues to fixate the goal, but at the same time destroys it. This type begins to manifest itself in cases where the activity becomes more exciting and is carried out without any special effort.

As for the conditions for the formation of a voluntary type of attention, here we can highlight a clear systematic organization of work, the use of the properties of mental activity, and the ability to concentrate for a long time. These are the main features of this type of attention.

Involuntary attention

In the same situation, when direction and concentration are involuntary, involuntary attention is relevant. One of the main forms of this type is considered to be an installation, that is, a state full readiness or a person’s predisposition to any action.

An unintentional (involuntary) type of attention appears independently without a specific goal on the part of the subject. It is caused by the qualities of various objects and numerous phenomena that are essential to a person. The characteristic of this type of attention comes down to the fact that the main of its manifestations and provoking factors is the novelty of the subject.

In addition, many bright stimuli (sudden light, loud sounds, strong odors, etc.) can attract involuntary attention. In some cases, this type can also cause not very visible stimuli (when they fully correspond to the interests, needs and attitudes of the person).

With involuntary attention, the design of the text plays a fairly large role (especially in children's books). This form primarily depends on various external properties of stimuli and is forced in nature, and it does not last long. The internal reasons for involuntary attention are presented in anticipation of some specific impressions. Therefore, before you start reading, it is important to get a rough idea of this book.

Drugs to improve attention

Reception medicines and supplements that stimulate the nutrition of brain cells, have a positive effect on productivity and improve concentration. Among modern drugs, Mildronate has proven itself well: it optimizes intracellular metabolic processes, allowing you to maintain the nutrition of neurons at the required level even at times when there is not enough oxygen, for example, during intense intellectual work. Protected from starvation, brain cells work much more efficiently, the building of neural connections accelerates, which has a beneficial effect on attention and intellectual activity in general.

The meaning of attention

In general, the features of attention are such that it is the main condition for the successful result of any. Its functions represent an improvement in other types of work to which it is assigned, but at the same time it does not have its own special active product. In addition, in some sources on psychology you can read that attention is such an organization of mental activity through which perceptions, sensations, thoughts are realized more clearly than others, and the latter, in turn, fade into the background or are not perceived at all.

Thus, attention is a consciously regulated concentration on some object. It does not depend on the present properties of this object (attractiveness, external and internal qualities, interest of the observer). It is fixed thanks to the person himself, depending on his activities.

If a person knows approximately what attention is, then he understands that a good result and the success of various work depend precisely on how correctly the goal is set and how the stages to achieve it are planned. Also of no small importance is the point associated with the degree of clarity of the direction of his efforts in the process of activity.

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