This document provides information about attention and attention span. It defines attention as the process of concentrating on a specific topic or object. It discusses the determinants of attention, including external factors like the nature, intensity and movement of a stimulus as well as internal factors such as interest, motives, mindset and moods. It describes two types of attention: non-volitional/involuntary attention that occurs without willpower and volitional/voluntary attention that requires conscious effort. Finally, it defines attention span as the amount of time a person can focus on a single task and notes that a short attention span is a symptom of conditions like ADD and ADHD.

1. C O U R S E : - 1 . 1 . 1
2 N D H A L F : A S P E C T S O F D E V E L O P M E N T
U N I T 3 - A T T E N T I O N & I N T E R E S T
S P O N S O R E D T E A C H E R S ’ T R A I N I N G C O L L E G E
P R E PA R E D BY
S A B N A M PA R V E E N
R O L L N O. - 2 5
G U I D E D BY : P I YA L I D A S G U P TA

2. ATTENTION

3. Contents of Presentation:
1. Meaning and Definition of Attention
2.Determinants of Attention
3.Types of Attention
4.Attention Span

4. Meaning of 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
given time. It is the process involving the act of listening, and concentrating
a topic, object or event for the attainment of desired ends.
Thus attention is essentially process and not a product. It helps in our
awareness or consciousness of our environment, which is of selective kind,
because in a given time, we can concentrate or focus our consciousness on a
particular object only.The concentration provided by the process of attention
helps us in the clarity of the perception of the perceived object or
phenomenon. Thus attention is not merely a cognitive factor but is
determined by emotions, interest, attitude and memory.Thus attention is a
process which is carried out through cognitive abilities and helped by
emotional and behavioural factors to select something out of the various
stimuli present in one’s environment and bring it in the centre of one’s
consciousness in order to perceive it clearly for deriving the desired end.

5. Definition of Attention:
“Attention is the concentration of consciousness upon one object other
than upon another”—Dumville.
“Attention is the process of getting an object or thought clearly before
mind”—Ross.
“Attention is being keenly alive to some specific factors in our
environment. It is a preparatory adjustment for response”—Morgan.

6. Determinants of Attention:
1. External factors or condition
2. Internal factors.
1.External Factors or Condition:
These conditions are generally those characteristics of outside situation or
stimuli which make the strongest aid for capturing our attention .These can be
classified as:
1. Nature of the stimulus:
All types of stimuli are not able to bring the same degree of attention. A
picture attracts attention more readily than words. Among the pictures, the
pictures of human beings invite more attention and those of human beings
to beautiful women or handsome men, who attract more attention. In this way
effective stimulus should always be chosen for capturing maximum attention.

7. 2. Intensity and size of the stimulus:
In comparison with the weak stimulus, the immense stimulus attracts more attention of an
Our attention become easily directed towards a loud sound, a bright light or a strong smell, and
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
notice the ticking sound of a clock put on the wall until it stops ticking, that is any change in the
attention to which you have been attracted immediately capture your attention. The factor, contact
change is highly responsible for capturing attention of the organism and contributes more than the
intensity, size or nature of the stimulus.
4. Repetition of stimulus:
Repetition is the factor of great importance in securing attention. Because one may ignore a
at first instance, but if it is repeated for several times it captures our attention, e.g. a miss-spelled
is more likely to be noticed, if it occurs twice in the same paragraph than, if it occurs only once.
giving lecture the important aspects of the speech are often repeated so that the attention of the
audience can be easily directed to the valuable points.

8. 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
and try to catch the attention of people through moving electric lights.
II. Internal or Subjective Factors:
These factors predispose the individual to respond to objective factors, to attend to those
that fulfill his desires and motives and suit his interest and attitude. It is the mental state of the
perceiver.
Some of the subjective factors are:
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 interested in the subject around
the movie or serial revolves. In any get-together if any subject of our interest is discussed that
attracts our attention easily and makes us to participate in the discussion. In our day-to-day life
pay attention to the stimulus we are interested in.

9. 2. Motives:
Our basic needs and motives to a great extent, determine our attention, thirst, hunger, sex,
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, occurrence
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 time table by the end of the
semester the time table put out on the notice board along with other notices would attract their
attention easily.
4. Moods and attitudes:
What we attend to is influenced by the moods and attitudes. When we are disturbed or in angry
mood, we notice the smallest mistake of others very easily. Likewise our favourable and
attitudes also determine our attention. After discussing subjective and objective factors, we realize
that these factors are interrelated. How much or in what way we attend to a stimulus depends on
subjective as well as objective factors.

10. Types of Attention:

11. Types of Attention:
(a)Non-volitional or Involuntary Attention:
This type of attention is aroused without the play of will. Here we attend to an object or condition
without making any conscious effort, e.g. a mother’s attention towards her crying child, for example,
attention towards the members of the opposite sex, and towards bright colours, etc.The attention
is aroused by the instincts is called “enforced non-volitional attention”. A young man when we remark
his sex instinct or his curiosity, he becomes quite attentive in his task.The other subtype of non-
attention, produced by the sentiments is called “spontaneous non-volitional attention”. It is the result of
properly developed sentiment, towards the object, or idea of a person around which our sentiments
formed with.
(b) Volitional or Voluntary Attention:
When the ‘exercised will’ is called upon, it becomes volitional attention. Because it demands the
conscious efforts on our part it is least automatic and spontaneous like that of non-volitional attention.
Attention payed at the time of solving an assigned problem of mathematics, answering question in an
examination hall and so on comes under volitional attention category.

12. Volitional attention is further subdivided into two categories:
i. A single act of volition is sufficient to bring about attention in the case of
implicit attention, e.g. for single act of will can arouse attention.
ii. In explicit volitional attention we need repeated acts of will to sustain it, e.g.
here attention is obtained by repeated acts of will.

13. Attention Span
An attention span is the amount of time that a person can focus on a single task.
is normal for a young child to have a short attention span but in normal children
that attention span becomes greater with increasing age. A short attention span is
the most prominent symptom of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) that is
diagnosed in children that are having problems learning in school. Closely related
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) which combines hyperactivity
(hyperlink?) with the attention span problem of ADD. It is important to note that
having a short attention span happens to everyone sometimes and is more
common in some individuals. People with ADD or ADHD have shortened
spans to the point where it cannot be controlled and it impacts their lives in such
significant negative manner that is becomes distressful and disruptful.