Attention + Concentration Flashcards
Define attention
A persons ability to exert deliberate mental effort on what is most important in any given situation
What are the 4 key characteristics of attention
Selective attention
Maintaining alertness
Situational awareness
Shifting attention
What is selective attention
Selecting where to put attention
Focusing on relevant environmental cues
Disregarding irrelevant cues
What is alertness
Maintaining attention over a long time
Being able to switch attention on and off due to cues
Regaining concentration
What is situational awareness
Awareness of what’s going on around you
Know what to focus on based on cues
Keep awareness of what’s happening whilst executing skill
What is shifting attention
Shifting the scope and focus of our attention
What are the three processes of attention
Attentional selectivity
Attentional capacity
Attentional alertness
Describe attentional selectivity
Spotlight used to focus on what is most important, however:
- fail to pinpoint the spotlight
- distractions occur
- attention can be divided
Describe attentional capacity
Attention is limited
To mitigate we have controlled and automatic attentional processing
Describe attentional alertness
Connected to arousal levels
Too much emotion = narrow field of attention so cues are missed
Which two dimensions are along Nideffer’s theory of attentional focus
Width (broad-narrow)
Direction (internal-external)
Describe broad and narrow focus
Broad: athletes aware of different stimuli at once
Narrow: athletes can exclude irrelevant information
Describe internal and external direction
External: a stimuli external to them
Internal: concentration on internal factors
What are two types of distraction
Internal (choking under pressure)
External (visual/auditory)
