Theories of Attention

Nursing theories

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Theories of Attention (Psychology)

Key points

  • Attention is concerned with selective processing of incoming sensory information.
  • Metaphors such as “bottleneck”, “spotlight”, “zoom-lens” are used to explain the process of attention.
  • The inability to ignore distractions is a typical occurrence in daily life, and while it may occasionally have insignificant effects, attentional lapses can occasionally have much more serious consequences.1
  • Distractors are more difficult to ignore under conditions of low perceptual load.2
  • Selective attention allows us to ignore what is task-irrelevant and focus on what is task-relevant.2
  • The limited resources on the neocortex is managed by the process of filtering the sensory data from the environment by the process of attention.3
  • Broadbent in 1958 proposed the Filter Theory of Attention’ or Early Selection Theory’ which states that only a limited subset of sensory signals reached later stages of processing, which states that attention acts as a perceptual filter, preventing the identification and semantic analysis of unattended sensory information.4
  • Considering the vast sensory data available in the environment, the sensory and cognitive resources have limited capacity. So, attention is important for adaptive behaviour by selective, prioritizing items and tasks.5
  • Lavie's load theory of attention explains the role of perceptual load and load-induced blindness.6,7
  • Perceptual load increase the magnitude of failures of awareness owing to a form of a psychological refractory period termed the attentional blink (AB).6
  • When faced with potentially distracting inputs, the capacity to maintain concentration on goal-relevant stimuli is essential for any coherent cognitive activity.8
  • Focused attention concerns the ability to respond discretely to specific stimuli.
  • Selective attention is the ability to avoid distracting stimuli.
  • Alternating attention is the rapid shifting of the attentional focus, given the inability to process all available information in parallel.9
  • Distributed attention has been shown to play a key role in obtaining statistical information or processing global aspects of a scene.10

References

  1. Lavie N. Attention, Distraction, and Cognitive Control Under Load. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2010 Jun 1;19(3):143–8. M
  2. urphy G, Groeger JA, Greene CM. Twenty years of load theory—Where are we now, and where should we go next? Psychon Bull Rev. 2016 Oct 1;23(5):1316–40.
  3. Krauzlis RJ, Bollimunta A, Arcizet F, Wang L. Attention as an effect not a cause. Trends Cogn Sci. 2014 Sep;18(9):457–64.
  4. Broadbent DE (Donald E. Perception and communication [Internet]. Pergamon Press; 1958 [cited 2025 Feb 24]. 354 p. Available from: http://archive.org/details/perceptioncommun00broa
  5. Swallow KM, Jiang YV. Attentional Load and Attentional Boost: A Review of Data and Theory. Front Psychol. 2013 May 20;4:274.
  6. Lavie N, Beck DM, Konstantinou N. Blinded by the load: attention, awareness and the role of perceptual load. Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci. 2014 May 5;369(1641):20130205.
  7. Lavie N. Perceptual load as a necessary condition for selective attention. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1995 Jun;21(3):451–68.
  8. Lavie N. Distracted and confused?: selective attention under load. Trends Cogn Sci. 2005 Feb;9(2):75–82.
  9. Commodari E. Novice Readers: The Role of Focused, Selective, Distributed and Alternating Attention at the First Year of the Academic Curriculum. -Percept. 2017 Jul 7;8(4):2041669517718557.
  10. Srinivasan N, Srivastava P, Lohani M, Baijal S. Focused and distributed attention. In: Srinivasan N, editor. Progress in Brain Research [Internet]. Elsevier; 2009 [cited 2025 Feb 24]. p. 87–100. (Attention; vol. 176). Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079612309176069
This page was last updated on: 24/02/2025