Attention

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A.S.Arul Lawrence, U.S.P.College, Tenkasi 1

A.S.Arul Lawrence M.Sc., M.Ed., M.Phil., NET,
E-mail: arullawrence@gmail.com,
Mobile: 9994103888.

Meaning:
 Attention is an active part of consciousness.
 The activity of concentrating mind on a particular
matter is called attention.
 Attention is not possible in the absence of
consciousness, but attention and consciousness are
not one.
 The field of consciousness is vast and attention is one
of its parts. For example, I am reading at this time.
Book, note, table, chair, etc., all this can be under my
consciousness, but my attention is on the words being
read on the paper.
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Definition:
 Attention is the concentration of consciousness upon one object rather
than others – Dumvile.
 Attention is the process of getting an object of thought clearly before
the mind – Ross.
 Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one
aspect of the environment while ignoring other things – John R.
Anderson.
 Attention is merely conation or striving considered from the point of
view of its effects on cognitive process – McDougall.
 Attention is being keenly alive to some specific factor in our
environment. It is a preparatory adjustment for response – Morgan and
Gilliland.
 Attention can be thought of as the bridge over which some parts of the
external world the aspects selectively focused on are brought into the
subjective world of our consciousness so that we may regulate our own
behaviour – Carver and Schuler.

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Nature:
 Attention is focusing of consciousness on a particular
object.
 Attention is constantly shifting/changeable
 Attention is selective
 Attention is a mental process
 Attention is a state of preparedness or alertness
 Attention has narrow range/span

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Types:
ATTENTION

Non-Volitional Volitional

Enforced Spontaneous Implicit Explicit

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Factors Related to Attention
 Attention depends upon several factors.
These factors may be of two types:
A. External and
B. Internal.

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External Factors:
 The external factors are concerned with the
environment. These are also called Objective Factors.
 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 Lilliputian
(dwarf man) walking on the road too draws our
attention.

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External…
 Intensity: Loud sounds, strong smells and deep
colours 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.

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External…
 Movement: Moving things draws our attention more
than stationary one. A moving car attracts faster than a
stationary car.

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External…
 Contrast: Anything that is different from its
surrounding is contrast. A black dust in the milk
drawn attention quickly. A swan among the crows
attracts suddenly.

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External…
 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.
 Change: Change draws our attention easily. In the midst of
continuous noise a slight moment of silence draws our
attention.
 Novelty: Newness attracts quickly than traditional one. A
new teacher attracts the children very much in the school.

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Internal Factors
 The internal factors are concerned with the individual.
So, these are also called subjective factors.
 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.

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Internal…
 Motives: Basic motives are important in drawing
attention. Human motives like
hungry, thirst, sex, 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.
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Internal...
 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.
 Apart from these above
factors, aptitude, attitude, mental set, disposition and
temperament etc., are also an internal factors.

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Inattention
 As a matter of fact there are two fields of
consciousness – the field of attention and inattention.
 The field of attention is in the center of consciousness
and that of inattention to the edge consciousness.
 The things on the edge of consciousness influence the
mind to some extent, but our attention is not diverted
to them.

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Inattention…
F D G J K
O Y U A W
V C N S Q
Z M I T R
Here are given twenty letters of alphabet. if we pay
attention to the alphabet ‘N’, then other letters are
overlooked and if we pay attention to the alphabet ‘ A’
then attention is diverted from other alphabets etc.
Now we have attention on ‘A’ and inattention on other
alphabets.

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Inattention…
 Inattention is required for attention. If we want to pay
attention to a thing, we will have to overlook other
things.
 If a student wants to pay attention to his lesson, then it
is necessary that he diverts his attention from other
things.

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Distraction: Meaning
 Distraction means the driving of attention or some
interference in attention.
 For example, when one is studying, the sound of a
song or noise breaks in upon attention.
 The object which causes the distraction is called
distractor.

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Distraction: Definition
 Distraction may be defined as any stimulus whose
presence interferes with the process of attention or
draws away attention from the object to which we wish
to attend – H.R.Bhatia.
 A distraction may be defined as any factor which
normally tends to break up attention – Prem Prakash.

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Sources of Distraction
 The sources of distraction can be roughly divided into two -
external and internal sources.
 External Factors: It is also called environmental factors.
These are more common and prominent.
 Noise, music, improper lighting, uncomfortable
seats, inadequate ventilation, defective method of
teaching, improper use of teaching aids, defective voice of the
teacher are the common external distractors in the
classrooms.
 Internal Factors:
 Emotional disturbances, ill-health, anger, fear, feeling of
insecurity, boredom, lack of motivation, feeling of
fatigue, lack of interest, unrelated subject matter are the
examples for internal distractor.
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Forms of Distraction:
 Continuous Distraction: As the name suggests, it is
the continuous distraction of attention.
 For example, the sound of radio or gramophone played
continuously, the noise of market place etc. Experiments
say adjustment to continuous distraction takes place
quickly.
 Discontinuous Distraction: This type of distraction
is irregular, being interspersed with intervals.
 For example, the hearing of somebody’s voice every now
and then. It interferes with work because of the
impossibility of adjustment.

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Span of Attention:
 Span of attention refers to the number of
objects, letters and digits one can attend to in a
fraction of a second so as exclude eye movement or
counting – Prem Praksh.
 The extent or limit of the ability of a person to attend
to a concentrate on something. The length of time
which a reader can concentrate on what he is reading
without thinking of anything else is called Span of
attention.

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Attention Span:
 It varies with age, physical, mental and emotional
condition and nature of material read.
 Attention brings an object into consciousness. How
many objects can be brought into consciousness at a
time, the number of them is called span of attention.
On an average span of attention of a child is limited to
4 to 5 whereas for adults it is within 6 to 7 letters or
digits.
 Touchidoscope is the apparatus using for determine
the span of attention.

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What did I
learn in this
class?

Review
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Attention:
 Meaning: active part of consciousness.
 Definition: concentration of consciousness upon one object rather than others .
 Nature:
 Types of Attention:
 Non-volitional Attention: It is also called involuntary attention.
 Enforced Attention: instincts.
 Spontaneous Attention: internal motivation and sentiments
 Volitional Attention: It is also called voluntary attention.
 Implicit Attention: ordinary efforts
 Explicit Attention: make efforts for a number of times
 Factors related to Attention:
 External Factors:
Size, Intensity, Repetition, Duration, Movement, Contrast, Change, Novelty,
 Internal Factors: Interest, Desire, Motives, Aim/Goal, Habit, Past
Experience, aptitude, attitude, mental set, disposition and temperament etc.
 Inattention: required for attention.

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Distraction:
 Meaning: interference in attention.
 Definition: any factor which normally tends to break up attention
 Sources of Distraction
 External Factors: Noise, music, improper lighting, uncomfortable
seats, inadequate ventilation, defective method of teaching, improper
use of teaching aids, defective voice of the teacher, etc.
 Internal Factors: Emotional disturbances, ill-
health, anger, fear, feeling of insecurity, boredom, lack of
motivation, feeling of fatigue, lack of interest, unrelated subject
matter, etc.
 Forms of Distraction
 Continuous Distraction
 Discontinuous Distraction
 Span of Attention: limit of the ability of a person to attend to a
concentrate on something.
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Questions:
1. Attention is an active part of ……………………………………
2. Enforced attention is sustained by ……………………………
3. Volitional attention is also called ……..……………….
4. The object which causes the distraction is called
……………………….
5. …………………… is the apparatus using for determine
the span of attention.

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Answers:
1. Consciousness
2. Instinct
3. Voluntary attention
4. Distructor
5. Touchidoscope

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Attention

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