Attention Study Presentation

ATTENTION Objectives Introduction Definition Characteristics. types Uses Factors influencing attention. Introduction Attention is the focus of consciousness on a particular object or idea at a particular time, to the exclusion of other objects or ideas Definition Attention is defined as a process which compels the individual to select a particular stimulus according to his interest and attitude out of the multiple stimuli of the environment. (Sharma RN-1967) Attention is the concentration of consciousness upon one object rather than upon another. (Dumyille-1938) Characteristics of attention It is a selective mental activity It constantly shifts from one object to another or from one aspect to another. Attention is focus of the consciousness on one particular object. Attention is the state of preparedness or alertness of Attention requires some motor and sensory adjustments on the part of the person being attentive. Types or varieties of attention. Voluntary How to Get Attention Attention Pay Attention it better all be love Involuntary Voluntary attention Requires conscious effort on the part of the person. Eg: problem solving, answering in the examination. Further types 1. Implicit volitional attention 2. Explicit volitional attention Implicit volitional attention A single act of will is responsible for arousing attention. Eg home work given by teacher and the fear of punishment mat arouse attention in the student to complete the given tasks. Explicit volitional attention Attention is obtained by repeated acts of will. One has to struggle hard for keeping oneself attentive.it requires strong will power and motivation to keep the attention focused. Eg: during the preparatory days of the examination. Involuntary attention This type of attention is aroused without the conscious effort. Eg: bright lights, loud noise and strong odours, pain etc. This type of attention can be aroused by instincts called enforced non volitional attention. Attention given due to preformed sentiments, to people objects and things. Methods for arousing attention Certain factors produce and control the condition of attention in the person. It can be to types: External factors Internal factors. External factors Nature of the stimuli: The attributes of the stimuli are more likely to arouse attention and allow concentration Shape, color, beauty, oddity, Pictures are more likely to attract attention than that of the text. External factors Location of the stimulus : The area where the stimulus s located is also important for attracting the attention as advertisements on the upper-half or on the front page attracts more attention than being located External factors Motion of the object: The moving stimulus attracts more attention than the stagnant one. Internal Factors Interest and attention: Interest is a very helpful factor in securing attention. People tend to pay more attention to the items and ideas which they are more interested. Internal Factors Mental set up: A person always attends to one subject which the mind has a set. During exam any talk about it attracts the attention. Internal Factors Emotion The emotional state of he individual determines the attention the person will put to any certain stimuli. Visual attention The visual attention span is very less the time of exposure is very short ranging from 1/100 to 1/5 of a second. The mind can attend to only 4 or 5 separate units if the items are not grouped together. But if the items are combined into meaningful wholes, for instance words, a large number of items can be perceived at once. Duration of Attention It referrers to how long one can attend to an object without a break. The duration of attention depends upon the nature of the stimulus and the interest of the observer. Conclusion Attention is one of the most important higher order mental functions. Its cardinal for assessing the mentally ill patients. Alteration in the attention span and its ability can lead to diagnosis of various psychopathologies. Correctly assessing the attention in MSE can give us insight about the psychiatric illness.