CG - Attention

Question 1

What is the concept of Attention?

Answer 1

Attention is the process of focusing, listening, looking or concentrating on a particular object, topic or event for the attainment of desired results. It should be used as a verb and not a noun.

Question 2

Define Attention

Answer 2

According to Dumville (1938), attention can be defined as the concentration of consciousness upon one object rather than upon another.

Question 3

What are the determinants/ nature of attention?

Answer 3

The determinants of attention are:
1. Attention means concentrating on one object - Even though we see many things around us for example the sky, clouds, nature, green trees etc we only concentrate or pay attention to one object at a particular time. For eg. At a railway station we might see many people around us with suitcases, and we see many trains and platforms, however when our train comes we focus only on our train knowing that that are many things around us. Attention makes us alive to one particular object at a given time.

Question 4

2nd Determinants

Answer 4

2. Attention is constantly shifting : There is a constant shift in attention since it is divided into two parts: central and marginal. Central is the main object we focus on at a particular time while marginal involves the objects in the environment around us. For sometime we may be focusing on something for eg the blackboard which is central to our focus however in the split of a second this might become our marginal attention and the central attention might shift to our benchmate who spilled water beside us. Attention shifts with every blink of an eye.

Question 5

3rd Determinant

Answer 5

3. Attention is selective
   We choose to attend to matters that go along with our interest and the rest are ignored by us. We selectively choose the most important thing to pay attention to. For eg if an individual has a headache and at the same time he falls down, hurts his toe and it starts bleeding. He will still be aware of his headache but his attention will be selectively on the treatment of his toe. There are many stimuli in our environment, there may be music coming from a radio, birds chirping and someone talking however we don’t respond to every stimuli with the same importance.

Question 6

4th determinant

Answer 6

Attention makes us prepared and alert:
Attention makes an individual physically, emotionally and mentally prepared and alert for the aim of responding or adjusting to the stimuli situation. It makes an individual process, adjust and prepared to respond. The call for “attention” in the military or at the railway station may make us alert and prepared for what will happen or what will be said next.