Psychology of attention

1. ATTENTION

2. DEF.
• It is a relatively sustained selective perception
• It is the direction & concentration of perception towards selected stimuli

3. ELEMENTS OF ATTENTION.
• Selectivity and attraction
• Altering attention
• Divided attention
• Fluctuation of attention
• Sustainability of attention
• Focused attention
• Distraction

4. 1.SELECTIVITY&ATTRACTION
• Many stimuli are competing for our attention
factors which give advantage to one stimulus over others
• External factors
1. Intensity of stimulus . Strong stimulus more attractive than weak
2. Repetion of stimulus : repeated sound more attractive than single
3. Changeability
4. Contrast
5. Unfamiliarity
6. Combination of sensory stimuli
7. Combination of factors

5. • INTERNAL FACTORS
1. Permanent factors 2. temporal factors
• Intellagence - physical state: ill person is less attentive
• Sensory fitness -emotional state : depression decrease attention
• Habit of perfection in attention -set; special preparedness directs attention
• towards certain stimuli

6. 2.ALTERING ATTENTION
• Factors responsible for shifting between stimuli
1. Spontaneity
2. Exploring
3. Monotony
4. Fatigue
5. satisfaction

7. 3.DIVIDED ATTENTION
• It requires pertaining out attentional resources at the same time rather than switching
back and forth

8. 4.FLUCTUATION :
• Quantitave shift in the resonse to the same stimulus

9. 5.FOCUSED ATTENTION :
• The ability to respond and pick out the important elements from
the background

10. 6.SUSTAINABILITY:
• It is the contrary to shifting and distraction this refers to the ability to maintain aconsistent
• Behavioral response during reprtitive activity

11. FACTORS THAT HELP SUSTAINABILITY
• Interest
• Curiosity
• Punishment and praise

12. 7.DISTRACTION
• it is the negative aspect of attention
• It depend on external factors as flash of light or internal factors as preocupation with
certain idea or prrsestant somatic pain
• How to eliminate distraction
• Elimination of distracting stimuli
• Putting extra effort in attending to the original task
• Negative adaptation

14. TYPES OF ATTENTION
• Active attention
we consiously direct and sustain our attention towards certain stimulus as going backward
substracting 7 from 100
• Passive attention
it is the type where stimuli reach us without directing our attention to it

15. FIELDS OF ATTENTION
• Central field
• Lateral zone of attention
• Marginal zone of attention

16. AUDITORY TASKS USED TO STUDY ATTENTION

18. COCKTAIL PARTY EFFECT

19. BROADBENT EARLY SELECTION FILTER THEORY

20. TRIESMAN ATTENUATION THEORY

21. DEUTSCH- NORMAN LATE SELECTION FILTER

23. SRTOOP TEST FOR SELECTIVE ATTENTION

24. HIERARCHICAL MODEL OF ATTENTION
• Useful in terms of rehabiltation of brain-damaged patient

25. DISORDERS OF ATTENTION
• Hyperprosexia; the attention is heightened and paid to every details ,occur in cases of
hypomania and obcession
• Inattention; occur in grades from simple inattention as in depression,schizophernia up to
stuper and coma
• Distractibility ; patient can be distracted by minor stimuli / occur in anxiety ;ADHD and
mania