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ATTENTION AND HUMAN FUNCTION

HENRY KAZADI MWANZA

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INTRODUCTION Attention is a psychological process that we apply in

our everyday lives. Attention does not refer to the implied aspect of

concentrating on a particular task. It refers to a process in which an individual takes

possession of information in a progressive manner that allows for its storage and retention.

Attention can be understood as part of the perceptual processes and also as part of the memory.

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INTRODUCTION James,; defines attention as “taking possession of the

mind in clear, vivid form out of what seems several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thoughts” (1890;P,403).

Our environment is ever dominated with different simultaneous stimuli and there is need to focus on the stimuli both in perception and cognition.

Human communication system has a limited capacity to process all the stimuli in the environment.

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INTRODUCTION The human communication selects what to attend to and focus

attention to. Selective attention is a situation in which individuals try to attend

to only one source of information while ignoring other stimuli (Eysenck & Keane, 2010).

a situation in which two Divided Attention is when two tasks are performed at the same

time. Attention has being categorized to occur at two levels;

consciously and unconsciously. Bourguignon (2000), Consciousness refers to the feeling of

awareness and the content of awareness.

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INTRODUCTION

Unconsciousness is the feeling of not being aware of the content or the focus of attention.

Attention has also being classified as active and passive.

Active attention occurs in a top down way which is controlled by the individual’s goals

while passive attention occurs in a bottom-up approach in which it is controlled by the stimuli.

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THEORIES OF ATTENTION

BROADBENT’s FILTER THEORY Humans have a sensory buffer that allows only one

sensory stimulus at a time even when two stimuli are presented simultaneously.

The theory suggests that attention is as a result of a limited capacity of the information processing system, which occurs through the sensory buffer (filter).

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THEORIES OF ATTENTION

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THEORIES OF ATTENTION The theory suggest that focus on a particular stimuli

occurs via the sensory system is that processes stimuli with highlighted physical features holding back the other stimuli for later processing.

It is assumed that the filter operates on a pre-categorical stage whereby the information is attended to before assigning any mental category or meaning.

sensory stimulation is gathered through a parallel model while the interpretation and processing occurs in a serial model.

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THEORIES OF ATTENTION

ATTENUATION THEORY (TRIESMANN) Suggests that irrelevant or unattended information is

not completely filtered out. The strength of the information is the one that

determines its processing (attenuation). Messages differ in “subjective loudness” Attention modulates subjective loudness: attended

channel is louder Individual words have different thresholds of subjective

loudness to be noticed e.g. the cocktail phenemonon.

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THEORIES OF ATTENTION

LATE SELECTION THEORY (Deutsch & Deutsch) This holds that all information is being processed at

same level, but Selection occurs late in processing (after information enters STM).

Listeners can access the meaning of unattended information.

The limitation is in the response system, not the perception, e.g. When we have auditory and visual stimuli we can process both but only respond to one.

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AUTOMATIC ATTENTION Automatic attention is defined as effortless, unconscious

& involuntary processing of information which proceeds without our conscious awareness (Posner, 1978).

This does not entail that the person is not aware of what they are doing but it simply means that a person does not need to think about the process in order to perform a task.

Automatic attention does not just become automatic in the literally sense but it involves practice and association of information.

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AUTOMATIC ATTENTION The early process of attention involves the conscious

awareness before it becomes unconscious. Automatic attention involves practice and association of

information that enables the creation of a cognitive map for the information.

Automatic processing has a direct link with memory because in order for someone to be able to perform a task.

Logan (1988), suggested that automatization occurs because we gradually accumulate knowledge about specific responses to specific stimuli.

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AUTOMATIC ATTENTION• Automatic processes occur in no particular sequence

because they involve less of control and conscious awareness.

• Automatic attention is termed as a parallel processes.• Automatic attention has three attributes that characterize

any automatic process these are (Posner & Snyder, 1975); 1. Not part of consciousness, 2.Unintentional 3. Consumer few resources

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AUTOMATIC ATTENTION Practice reduces the need for attention by reducing

central cognition, making a task automatic. Controlled processes require intentional efforts,

conscious awareness and also sequencing.

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VISUAL ATTENTION Yantis (2008), Human visual attention system can

divided into two systems which is; voluntary (goal-directed) and also involuntary (stimulus-driven).

Visual attention is either driven by our interest or the attraction of the stimulus.

The goal directed system is based on expectations, knowledge and current goals.

Stimulus driven is based on unexpected, potentially important stimulus which redirects the focus of attention.

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VISUAL ATTENTION Goal directed system has being linked to the

operation of a spotlight in the sense that visual attention highlights only a small part of the visual space.

• visual attention can be object- or location-based, and can be used flexibly.

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VISUAL ATTENTION

Visual Search visual search is a task involving the rapid detection of a

specified target stimulus within a visual display. Feature integration theory, suggests that features of an

object are processed in a parallel model and then combined by focused attention.

This theory makes a distinction between the features of objects (e.g. colour, size, lines in particular orientation) and the objects themselves.

The visual features of objects in the environment are processed together; this does not depend on attention.

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VISUAL ATTENTION Feature combination can be influenced by stored

knowledge. Feature integration theory assumes that lack of

focused attention can produce illusory conjunctions (random combinations of features).

Visual attention is processed in the visual cortex. Neglect (unilateral neglect), is a condition in which

there is a lack of awareness of stimuli presented to the side of space on the opposite side of the brain.

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VISUAL ATTENTION The brain damage is in the right hemisphere and

there is little awareness of stimuli on the left side of the visual field.

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CONCLUSION

Attention can both be perceptual and memory oriented.

Human attention accounts for the acquisition of information and knowledge.

Attention is performed both consciously and unconsciously through the different human senses.

Human attention occurs in an integrated fashion of all the senses.

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REFERENCES James, W. (1890). Principles of psychology. New York: Holt. Logan, G.D. (1988). Toward an instance theory of

automatization. Psychological Review, 95, 492 – 527. Micheal W. Eysenck & Mark T. Keane. (2010) Cognitive

Psychology 6th Students Handbook. NewYork: Pyschology Press Yantis, S. (2008). The neural basis of selective attention:

Cortical sources and targets of attentional modulation. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17, 86 – 90.