Attention

1. Attention
Dr.M.Deivam
Assistant Professor (Contract Basis)
Department of Education
The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University)
Gandhigram, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu – 624 302

2. Attention
• Attention is the cognitive process of selectively
concentrating on one aspect of the environment
while ignoring other things. Attention has also
been referred to as the allocation of processing
resources.
• For example while watching TV our senses are
glued to the screen and we do not pay attention
to the surroundings and similarly we do not listen
to a cell phone conversation while driving a car.

3. Definition
• McDougall defines attending as Striving to
Cognize. Attention increases ones efficiency
and is vital for acquisition of skills. It is also an
aid to remembering and recall.

4. Psychological Theories of Attention
• Selection Theory of Attention
• Hebb’s theory
• Broadbent’s Theory

5. Selection Theory of Attention
• This theory describes attention as selection
among items not yet in consciousness, a
selection of some to enter consciousness while
others remain excluded. Through such selective
action of this mental process, a psychological
environment is created out the psychological
environment. It is said that Reticular Activating
System (R.A.S) of the brain is physiologically
responsible for this selection, through a process
called Sensorygating as R.A.S. filter incoming
messages and alters the higher centres of the
brain when important messages are received.

6. Hebb’s Theory
• This theory considers attentions as the activity of
the cerebral cortex. Hebb considers attending as
an autonomous cerebral process which acts as a
reinforce of sensory processes.
• Reinforced response alone appear for being
attended. Though our brain may experience
many sensory inputs from different stimuli, it
allows only the select response of a particular
stimulus get out for being attended .Thus
attending is a process of selection, not of
stimulus but of response.

7. Broadbents Theory
• This theory based on the present day information theory
stressed stimulus selection, as the core of the attentive
process. He uses such term like ‘Input’, ‘short term store’,
‘filter’, limited capacity channel’ and ‘output’ of the
information theory while explaining the basis of attending.
• Broadbent says that the function of attention is to prevent
over loading of the individuals information processing
capacity.
• Attention is a filter interposed between sensory input and
processing system. The filter is all or none, admitting the
contents of one input channel at a time and completely
blocking the remainder though it can rapidly shift between
channels.

9. Span of Attention
• Span of attention refers to the number of
independent, distinct or separate stimuli that
can be attended to by an individual, at a
glance viz. in a very brief period of time. Span
of attention denotes the number of objects
that can exist in the focus at a time.

10. Shifting of Attention
• We cannot be continuously attending on any
object for more than 10 seconds, because
attention is characterized by fluctuation. It
shifts from one object to another or one
aspect of the object to another aspect.
• If a teacher wants his pupils to attend to a
subject, he should take care to introduce
variety, new points of view, varied illustrations
etc.

11. Division of Attention
• Experiments revel that division of attention is
not possible. We cannot attentively do two
things at the same time. In conscious
simultaneous performance of two activities,
both suffer.
• Experiments: Writing alphabets from Z down
to A; count number +5; 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28, 33

12. Factors of attention
• There are many factors which determine the
process of attending. Those factors which
resides in the object attended to, are called
objective factors. As these factors operate on
the individual from outside, they are also
known as external factors.

13. Determinants of Attention
Objective factors
Size
Intensity
Change
Contrast
Novelty
Movement
Repetition
Systematic form
Subjective factors
• Interest
• Need
• Mental set
• Mood
• Physiological condition

14. Size
• Objects of big size, arrest our attention
immediately. Full page advertisements in
newspapers capture our attention more easily
than quarter page advertisements. For the
same reason, people compete in putting up
large cut outs of political leaders,
advertisement holding etc along the roadside.

15. Intensity
• As size is to figure, so is the intensity to the
quality of the stimulus. Stimulus with high
intensity like loud sound, deep striking
colours, punchant smell etc. are highly
successful in attracting our attention. While
taking a class, if the teacher raises his tone he
can overcome the disturbing noises coming
from outside and retain the attention of his
pupils on the ongoing lesson in the class.

16. Change
• Whenever there occurs sudden changes in a
stimulus, it immediately attracts our attention.
For example when the fan suddenly stops,
everyone in the class looks up and see the fan.
Similarly a student sleeping in the class wakes up
immediately when silence suddenly descends on
the class. On entering into our house, we quickly
notice the changed positions of tables and chairs
in the hall. This implies that if a teacher talks with
proper modulation in his voice, he can easily
capture the attention of the students.

17. Contrast
• When a stimulus presents itself as a contrast
in the midst of other stimuli, it turns out to be
an attention winner e.g A black dot in a white
shirt looks predominant.
• To arrest the attention of students in the class,
the teacher should use contrasting activities
like lecturing, questioning, using charts and
writing on the blackboard while teaching.

18. Novelty
• When a stimulus is presented in a novel or unusual way, it
attracts the attention of everyone.
• For example, we used to see usually the notice “No
admission” in offices; but in a office when we see the same
notice in a different manner like “Admission with
permission only” it immediately strikes our attention and
retained in memory for long.
• In a similar way, while teaching in the class if the teacher
instead of using the examples given in the test book,
presents illustrations from his personal experiences, and
that too relating to pupils immediate environment, then
students’ attention will not get out of the class.

19. Movement
• As compared to stationary objects, moving
objects easily attracts our attention. For this
reason only the mother of a crying child, to divert
its attention, points out to the child moving
objects like a crow, car, aero plane and the like.
The classroom teacher should also present
stimulus variation like moving to the blackboard
to write, moving towards students while
questioning, using appropriate gestures while
talking etc. and win the attention of the pupils.

20. Repetition
• A stimulus, even of low intensity if appears
repeatedly, it succeeds in winning our attention.
The same business advertisement is repeated
many times in mass media like T.V, Radio and
news paper only to attract the attention of
consumers.
• To focus the attention of the students on any
important concept of the lesson the teacher
should explain it two or three times with the use
of different illustrations and that too through
different words.

21. Systematic Form
• Objects with systematic form are easily
attended to and retained long in our memory
as compared to object which are incomplete
or irregular in form.
• To enlist the attention of the students, the
teacher before starting the lesson should give
an overview of the entire lesson so that the
students get a proper and complete idea of
the lesson.

22. Interest
Every students during admission to college
applies to courses of his interest Students
develop certain skills on the basis their
interest.
Interested students keenly observe the lessons
in the class. Teachers should always teach in
such a way as to kindle the interest of the
students.

23. Need or value
• A hungry person easily spots the name board
of a restaurant, though it is small in size,
appears dull, but the name board of a nearby
bookshop which is big in size may not catch
his attention. Hence, if the teacher before
starting a lesson in the class points out the
utility of the concepts to be taught, then
students will follow the class with much
attention.

24. Mind set
• One’s mental set or disposition of readiness to react to
a particular stimulus, is another subjective factor of
attention.
• For example the attention of a person who goes to
railway station to receive his friend will always be on
spotting the friend in the midst of others; he may not
even hear if somebody nearby calls him. The reason for
this is that his mind is set only to receive his friend.
• For this reason only, Herbart stressed the importance
of preparing the students for the lesson at the start
of the class, before actually teaching the lesson.

25. Physiological condition
• The physiological condition of one’s body
determines the level of attention. Students
suffering from headache, stomachache, fever
etc. will be unable to attend to the lesson
taught in the class.
• It is always better to provide rest for those
students who do not feel well, instead of
compelling them to attend the class.

26. Kinds of attention
• Voluntary or volitional attention
• Involuntary or Non-Volitional attention

27. Involuntary attention
• Involuntary attention is spontaneous, free,
nature and passive. Not much effort is
needed for this type of attention. Attention of
Young children is of this nature.

28. Voluntary Attention
• This type of attention involves some effort or
will. Some times we have to force ourselves
to attend to objects or events in which we
lack interest. In such cases, we take efforts to
set out attention on the stimulus in question.
Thus we can say voluntary attention is
intentional.

29. Inattention
• Inattention means, not paying attention to a
particular stimulus or to any stimulus. We do
not pay attention to a particular stimulus
because we are not interested in it.
Inattention is caused by the absence of
objective and subjective factors that
determine one’s attention. For example, lack
of interest , motivation, or need on the part
of the individual cause inattention.

30. Distraction
• Distraction, on the other hand, refers to
attending to irrelevant stimuli that are not
part of the main assigned task. A student
would like to attend to the lecture in the
classroom but he may be distracted because
of the noise coming from outside. Distraction
results in poor productivity and wastage of
energy resulting in fatigue.

31. Methods of Eliminating Distraction
• The attention distracting object could be removed from the
neighbourhood.
• If we encounter the same type of distractors everyday we
get used to them and start ignoring their presence.
• By increasing our level of efforts, distraction could be
overcome.
• If the classroom teaching is really interesting, distractors
could produce only least impact to win over distraction, may
produce fatigue soon.
• Training in concentration, helps to overcome distraction with
ease.

32. Interest and attention
• Interest and attention are interrelated. We are
always ready to attend to objects which are of
interest to us and when we undertake a task in
which we have more interest, we attend to it
with much involvement. Thus it could be said
“Interest is latent attention; attention is interest
in action’ – Mc Dougall
• No effort is required to attending an object in
which we have interest (Involuntary attention)

33. Ways and means of Securing Better
Attention in the class
• To secure attention of pupils, teacher has to first
of all remove certain obstacles to attention. Poor
physical conditions of pupil, fatigue, sensory
defects, etc. interfere with attention. Unhygienic
seating, uncomfortable furniture, inadequate
lighting, etc. hinder attention.
• The teacher has to make good use of the
objective factors of attention in his class. Loud
voice, striking diagrams, clear blackboard work,
use of coloured chalks, varied activities, novel
illustrations, repetitions of basic ideas, etc are all
of such nature.

34. Contd.,
• At the elementary stage the teacher has to
appeal to the involuntary attention by using
concrete aids, direct experiences, play activities,
appealing to the children’s curiosity, etc. At the
middle school level teachers can use suitable
techniques of motivation by stimulating
acquired interest of pupils, their hobbies, etc. to
evoke voluntary attention and foster sentiments
of love for various school subject and activities.
At the adolescent level, voluntary attention has to
be evoked by appealing to the long-term interest
of students and banking on their self-regard.

35. Contd.,
• During classroom teaching, the teacher has to
tell his pupils what to attend to, at the stage of
introduction itself by providing the over-view
of the lesson. While explaining a new
concept, the teacher should relate it to the
previous knowledge of the students and give
examples which are familiar to them.

36. Contd.,
• The teacher should harness the natural
interests of pupils to the class lesson and also
create new interests of educational value.
Children’s interests vary with age; but
generally all children are interested in
creative, productive, free and life-like
activities. So there is need for play way
method, projects, discovery approach to
teaching, activity based curriculum, etc.

37. References
• https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789
/12209/1/Unit-6.pdf
• Chauhan, S. S. (2009). Advanced educational
psychology. Vikas publishing house.
• Mangal, S. K. (2002). Advanced educational
psychology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd..

38. Thank You