Attention, Factors of Attention, Objective Factors, Subjective Factors, Span of Attention, Distraction of Attention, Control of Distraction, Fluctuation of Attention.

1. Introduction To Psychology
(PSY-101)
Instructor: Amina Riasat
Ahmed Raza 15031554-054
Wasif Ali Syed 18221554-001
Muhammad Awais Khan 18221554-029
Abdul Rahim 18221554-012
Mian Muhammad Sufyan 18221554-039

2. Attention
 Attention is the cognitive process of
selectively concentrating one aspect of
the environment while ignoring other
things.
 We are particularly attentive to stimuli
that appear exceptionally bright, large,
loud, novel or high in contrast.

3. Attention
 We also pay greater attention to stimuli
that are particularly meaningful or are
relevant to our motivations.
 E.g., If we are hungry ,we are more apt
to be sensitive to food and food related
stimuli.
 It also includes listening carefully to
what someone is saying while ignoring
other conversation in a room.

4. Factors of Attention
 Why do we pay attention to something and not to
others? What directs our attention?
1. Objective Factors
2. Subjective Factors

5. External / Objective Factors
The external factors are concerned with the environment. These
are also called Objective Factors. Intensity
1. Size
2. intensity
3. Movement
4. Repetition
5. Duration
6. Abrupt change
7. Novelty

6.  Size: Size has effect on attention. It is natural an
unusual size attracts attention of the people. Very
big size or very small size too draws our attention
when compared with normal size. For example, a
dwarf man walking on the road too draws our
attention.
 Intensity: Loud sounds, strong smells and deep
colors are attractive in nature. If a sound is
intense then it would attract our attention. The
thunder is louder than a car sound. So, our
attention is drawn on thunder

7.  Movement: Moving things draws our
attention more than stationary one. A
moving car attracts faster than a
stationary car
 Repetition: If a thing or person or
event is repeated several times, then our
attention drawn to it. When an
advertisement is repeated in the walls
drawn our attention.
 Duration: attention is drawn to a thing
that lasts longer. A salesperson draws
attention by lengthening his voice.

8.  Novelty: Newness attracts quickly than
traditional one. A new teacher attracts
the children very much in the school.

9. Subjective Factors
The internal factors are concerned with the individual. So, these
are also called subjective factors
1. Interests
2. Desire
3. Motives
4. Aim/ goals
5. Habit
6. Past Experience

10.  Interest: we are interested in some things and
disinterested in other things. Interesting things
draws our attention soon. An engineer and a
botanist going down the same path will attend
entirely different things on the way. Engineer
attention will be on the buildings and botanist
attention will be on the trees.
 Desire: A person’s desire becomes a cause of
paying attention to a thing. For example, a person
has to desire of buying a hammer. There are many
things available in a market, but when he goes to a
shop where hammers are available.

11.  Motives: Basic motives are important in drawing attention.
Human motives like hungry, thirst, safety, etc., play a vital role
in drawing attention. A thirst person attention always on where
water is available.
 Aim/Goal: Every man has some immediate aim and ultimate
goal in their life. The immediate aim of a student is to pass in
the examination while his ultimate goal may be to become a
doctor. The student, whose goal is not to pass the examination,
will not be concerned with textbooks or note, etc, but who has
the aim to pass in the examination, will at once attend to them

12.  Habit: Habit is also a vital determinant of
attention. The kind of habit we found in our life,
our attention is drawn to such things. if a person
has habit to play cricket, then his attention is
always drawn to it, and he will listen to cricket
commentaries with attention.
 Past Experience: It is also affect attention. If we
know by our past experience that a particular
person is sincere to us, we shall pay attention to
whatever he advises us. If our experience is
contrary, we shall not attend even to his most
serous advice.

13. Span of Attention
 How many things can we hold in our
attention at the same time?
 Most psychologists agree that the ability
to focus attention on a task is important
for the achievement of one's goals.
 The attention span for this level is very
brief, with a maximum span, without
any break at all, that may be as short as
8 seconds

14.  Poor attention span with distractibility
 Fails to finish the things started
 Shift from one uncomplicated activity to
other
 Does not seem to listen
 Easily distracted by external stimuli
 Often loses things

15. Distraction of Attention
 Distraction means the dividing of attentions or
some interference in attention. The object
which causes the distraction is called the
distractor
 Duration of attention is often short. Different
stimuli distract person’s attention. if a person
wants to attend a stimuli constantly , Even then
different factors can distract him. Person pays
more attention and concentration to his work
but remain unable to maintain it.
.

16. Distraction of Attention
 There are individual differences in
distraction of attention. Its not always
necessary that two different people get
distracted by same stimuli. Some people
can study in noise ,while others need
complete silence. Two important factors
are as under:
 Objective Factors
 Subjective Factors

17. Objective Factors
 The factors that distract attention from
environment are called objective factors. It is
also called environmental factors. Routine
work distract less attention while different and
novel work distracts more.
 Noise, music, improper lighting, uncomfortable
seats, defective method of teaching, improper
use of teaching aids, defective voice of the
teacher are the common external distractors in
the classrooms.

18. Subjective Factors
 These factors are related to person’s
internal characteristics. Every person get
distracted by his tendencies or interests.
 Emotional disturbances, mental and
physical health, anger, fear, feeling of
insecurity, boredom, lack of motivation,
feeling of fatigue, lack of interest,
desires, preferences, freshness, unrelated
subject matter are the examples for
internal distractor.

19. Control of Distraction
 Distraction of attention affects our performance. So these
factors can decrease distraction of attention.
1. By giving Reward
2. Social Acceptance
3. Through Self Control
4. Increase in Capability
5. Through clear objective

20. Fluctuation of Attention
 We can only attend a stimulus for few seconds. If we have to
attend a stimulus for long, then the attention fluctuates. This is
called fluctuation of attention.
 Fluctuation of attention is the length of time one can attend
continuously to a single object. Attention is not steady or
concentrated throughout. At one time the object come in our
focus, at another time, it goes out from focus.
 Attention is a mobile or dynamic activity, and it is difficult to
attend to one a particular object for any great length of time.
When attention moves from one object to another, it is called
the shifting of attention. But even when the attention persists
with one object, it grows more or less in degree. This is called
fluctuation of attention.

21. Fluctuation of Attention
 In shift of attention our attention passes
from one stimulus to another or from one
part of a complex stimulus to another part.
 Our receptors get fatigued by concentrating
on one stimuli and stop working. But when
attention decreases , the capacity of
receptors resumes.
 Usually we say, that I can study for 1 or 2
hour. But when a person is studying ,even
then his attention is not static ,rather it’s
diverting on different words ,phrases and
concepts.