Attention- optimal organization, manifested in its direction and concentration. Direction of consciousness- selection of objects that are essential, and concentration - distraction from side stimuli and centralization of the object in. The level of attentiveness is an indicator of the level of activity organization of consciousness.

Attention as a functioning of consciousness is associated with the dissection of external impressions, highlighting the most significant ones in at the moment components, concentrating the greatest analytical and synthetic efforts on them. Thanks to this, the greatest clarity and distinctness of consciousness is achieved, its focus in the right direction. Attention acts in “the role of a strategist, that is, a director and organizer, a leader and controller of the battle, who, however, does not take direct part in the battle itself.”

It is not an independent mental process. Attention functions rhythmically, it fluctuates - it works as if in explosions, maintaining strength from one impulse to the next.

Attention- this is a manifestation of the basic characteristics of consciousness - i.e. its focus, And apperception, i.e., the dependence of the reflection of the phenomena of reality on general content mental organization. “Apperception thus appears to us as an accumulated capital of attention.” The functioning of consciousness is more efficient when it is unloaded by automating habitual actions.

Along with the main stimulus, a certain level of background arousal is necessary for the optimal functioning of consciousness.

Rice. 1. Fluctuation of attention. During prolonged perception of the drawing, the top of the truncated pyramid periodically recedes into the background.

When objects are equivalent, attention oscillates—its fluctuation (Fig. 1).

Neurophysiological basis of attention.

The physiological mechanism of the organization of consciousness is, according to the teaching, the functioning of the focus of optimal excitation or “dominant”, in terminology. At the same time, the reflection of everything that is not related to current activities is blocked.

Attention is related to innate. The functioning of the orientation reflex is accompanied by an appropriate adjustment of the sensory organs, an increase in their sensitivity, a general activation of brain activity, and inhibition of all reactions to side effects.

Types of attention.

They can have a voluntary and involuntary (independent of) direction. Thus, a sharp unexpected signal causes attention against our will - this involuntary attention. But the basic form of organization of mental processes is voluntary (intentional) attention. It is associated with the active identification of significant information.

Ability to direct at will mental activity- one of the main characteristics of a person. In the process of activity, voluntary attention can turn into post-voluntary, which does not require constant volitional efforts. They also differ external attention— highlighting significant objects in external environment And intradirectional- selection of ideal objects from the fund of the psyche itself.

Attention is associated with a person’s attitudes, his readiness, and predisposition to certain actions. The installation increases the sensitivity of the senses and the level of all mental activity. (We are more likely to notice the appearance of an object if we expect it to appear at a certain place and at a certain time.)

Properties of attention- these are its qualities: activity, direction, volume, breadth, distribution, concentration, stability and switchability.

Properties (qualities) of attention and factors of their conditioning

The properties of attention are systemic; they are associated with structural organization human activity.

At the initial stage of activity, with a general orientation, when the objects of the environment are equivalent, the main feature of attention is breadth - the uniform distribution of consciousness over several objects. At this stage of activity there is still no stability of attention.

But stability of attention becomes significant when the most significant ones for a given activity are identified from the available objects. Depending on this, mental processes become more intense, increases and attention span- the number of objects that a person can simultaneously be aware of with the same degree of clarity.

If the observer is shown short term a number of objects at the same time, it turns out that people pay attention to four or five objects. The amount of attention depends on professional activities a person, his experience, mental development. The amount of attention increases significantly if objects are grouped and systematized. The volume of attention is somewhat less than the volume of awareness, because along with the clear reflection of objects in consciousness at each moment there is an indistinct, background reflection of other objects.

The focus of consciousness on performing several simultaneous actions is called distribution of attention. A novice driver tensely regulates the movement of the car, he can hardly take his eyes off the road to look at the instruments, and is in no way inclined to carry on a conversation with his interlocutor. Acquiring the appropriate stable skills during the exercise, a person begins to perform many actions semi-automatically and concentrate consciousness on the most significant objects.

Attention fluctuation. In this figure, we alternately see either a parallelepiped or a truncated pyramid - attention periodically brings to the fore different sides of the objects. When different sides of an object are equivalent, involuntary switching of attention occurs at intervals of 20 seconds.

Concentration— intensity of consciousness orientation and the most significant objects of attention. Involuntary switching of attention—its fluctuation—is also possible.

The quality of attention depends on individual characteristics highest nervous activity- strength, balance and mobility of nervous processes. Depending on the type of higher nervous activity, the attention of some people is more mobile, while for others it is difficult to switch and insufficiently distributed. These features of the functioning of consciousness are of significant importance in various types of professional activities - they are diagnosed by special tests.

Attention is a way of organizing an individual’s consciousness. The lack of a clear direction and structure of consciousness means that it is disorganized. One of the states of partial disorganization of consciousness is absent-mindedness. (This does not mean that “professorial” absent-mindedness, which is the result of great mental concentration, but general absent-mindedness, which excludes any concentration of attention.) Absent-mindedness can arise as a result of a rapid change of impressions, when a person is not able to concentrate on each of the them separately, under the influence of monotonous, monotonous, insignificant stimuli.

Long-term continuous operation in one direction causes overwork- neurophysiological exhaustion. Overfatigue is first expressed in diffuse irradiation (random spread) of the excitation process, a violation of differentiated inhibition (a person becomes incapable of subtle analysis, discrimination), and then a general protective inhibition and a sleepy state arises.

One of the types of temporary disorganization of consciousness is apathy- a state of indifference to external influences. This passive state is associated with a sharp decrease in the tone of the cerebral cortex and is subjectively experienced as a painful state. Apathy can occur both as a result of nervous overstrain and in conditions of “sensory hunger.” Apathy to a certain extent paralyzes a person’s mental activity, dulls his interests, and reduces his orienting and exploratory reaction. The appearance of apathy may also be associated with the so-called emotional cycles of an individual.

The highest degree of non-pathological disorganization of consciousness occurs when stress and affect.

The organization of consciousness is connected to a certain extent with the circadian rhythms of the level of wakefulness of the brain (the maximum level of wakefulness is achieved 3 and 10 hours after awakening).

During life, a person is exposed to a huge number of different stimuli. But human consciousness is not capable of realizing all these objects simultaneously and clearly enough. Some objects are perceived quite clearly, others are too unclear, and others remain completely outside the field of attention.

From the entire mass of objects and phenomena around him, a person selects those that are of interest to him and correspond to his needs and life plans.

Attention- this is a person’s concentration on objects and phenomena of the surrounding world that are most significant to him.

Attention- this is the focus of the psyche (consciousness) on certain objects that have stable or situational significance for the individual.

Attention does not exist by itself. It is simply impossible to be attentive; this requires the functioning of mental processes.

The initial form of attention is the orienting reflex, which is a reaction to everything new, unknown, and unexpected. Attention can be attributed to a special form of human mental activity. It is a necessary condition for any activity.

Types of attention.

Let's consider two classifications.

1. Attention may be external(directed towards the environment) and internal(focus on one’s own experiences, thoughts, feelings).

This division is to some extent arbitrary, since people are often immersed in their own thoughts, pondering their behavior.

1. The classification is based on the level of volitional regulation. Attention is given involuntary, voluntary, post-voluntary.

Involuntary attention occurs without any effort on the part of the person, and there is no goal or special intention.

Involuntary attention is the most simple view attention. It is often called passive or forced, since it arises and is maintained independently of the person’s consciousness. An activity captivates a person in itself due to its fascination, entertainment or surprise.

Involuntary attention may occur:
1) Due to certain characteristics of the stimulus. These features include:

a) strength, and not absolute, but relative (in complete darkness, attention can be attracted by the light from a match);
b) surprise;
c) novelty and unusualness;
d) contrast (among Europeans, a person of the Negroid race is more likely to attract attention);
e) mobility (this is the basis for the action of a beacon, which not only lights up, but blinks);

2) From the internal motives of the individual. This includes a person’s mood, interests and needs. Voluntary attention arises when a goal is consciously set, to achieve which efforts are made. volitional efforts.

Unlike involuntary attention, main feature voluntary attention is that it is driven by a conscious purpose. This type of attention is closely related to the will of a person and was developed as a result of labor efforts, therefore it is also called volitional, active, intentional.

A person focuses not on what is interesting or pleasant for him, but on what he should do. By voluntarily focusing on an object, a person makes a volitional effort, which maintains attention throughout the entire process of activity; the volitional effort is experienced as tension, the mobilization of forces to solve the task at hand. Voluntary attention occurs when a person sets a goal for an activity, the implementation of which requires concentration. Voluntary attention owes its origin to work.

An important condition for maintaining voluntary attention is the mental state of a person. A tired person finds it very difficult to concentrate. Emotional arousal caused by extraneous causes significantly weakens voluntary attention.

The main function of voluntary attention is the active regulation of mental processes. Thus, voluntary attention is qualitatively different from involuntary attention. However, both types of attention are closely related to each other, since voluntary attention arose from involuntary attention.

Most likely voluntary attention in the following situations:

1) when a person clearly understands his responsibilities and specific tasks when performing an activity;

2) when the activity is performed under familiar conditions, for example: the habit of doing everything according to the schedule in advance creates an attitude towards voluntary attention;

3) when performing an activity concerns any indirect interests, for example: playing scales on the piano is not very exciting, but necessary if you want to be a good musician;

4) when favorable conditions are created when performing an activity, but this does not mean complete silence, since weak side stimuli (for example, quiet music) can even increase work efficiency.

Post-voluntary attention is intermediate between involuntary and voluntary, combining the features of these two types.

It appears as voluntary, but after some time the activity being performed becomes so interesting that it no longer requires additional volitional efforts.

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Introduction

The relevance of the topic is due to the fact that the psychology of attention is one of classical regions psychology. It was studied by N. N. Lange, P. Ya. Galperin, N. F. Dobrynin and many others. Her arsenal has accumulated large number ways to explore and diagnose different aspects of attention, many general recommendations and specific techniques for the active development of children’s attention of different ages and adults. attention physiological concentration

A certain difficulty that confronts a person who wants to understand the psychology of attention is that, on the one hand, the answer to the question of what attention, attentiveness and inattention are, is known at a practical, everyday level not only by any adult, but also by almost every child. On the other hand, attention is a very complex section of psychological knowledge, which in lately attracts increasing interest from psychologists and gives rise to complex and controversial theories of explanation.

The problem of attention is often considered only in connection with other mental functions: memory, thinking, imagination, perception. Indeed, manifestations of attention cannot be seen separately from them, in pure form. Therefore, in many psychology textbooks, attention is interpreted as a kind of secondary, auxiliary mental function. Without attention as the ability to actively focus on one thing, the main thing, discarding everything random and unnecessary at the moment, life is impossible.

The concept of attention in psychology

Attention is the direction and concentration of our consciousness on a specific object. The object of attention can be anything - objects and their properties, phenomena, relationships, actions, thoughts, feelings of other people and your own inner world.

Attention is not an independent mental function; it cannot be observed by itself. This is a special form of human mental activity, and it is included as a necessary component in all types of mental processes. Attention is always a characteristic of some mental process: perception, when we listen, examine, sniff, trying to distinguish any visual or sound image, smell; thinking when we solve some problem; memory, when we remember or try to remember something specific; imagination, when we try to clearly imagine something. Thus, attention is a person’s ability to choose what is important for himself and focus his perception, thinking, remembering, imagination, etc. on it.

Attention is a necessary condition for the quality performance of any activity. It performs a control function and is especially necessary during learning, when a person encounters new knowledge, objects, and phenomena.

Both schoolchildren and students, no matter how talented or capable they are, will always have gaps in knowledge if their attention is not sufficiently developed and they are often inattentive or absent-minded in class. Attention largely determines the course and results of educational work.

The physiological basis of attention is made up of orienting-exploratory reflexes, which are caused by new stimuli or unexpected changes in the situation. I. P. Pavlov called them “what is it?” reflexes. He wrote: “Every minute every new stimulus that falls on us causes a corresponding movement on our part in order to become better and more fully aware of this stimulus.

Types of attention

Attention can be involuntary (unintentional) and voluntary (intentional). The term “arbitrary” is formed not from the word “arbitrariness”, but from the word “will”, meaning will, desire. Involuntary attention does not depend on our desire, nor on our will or intentions. It happens, arises as if by itself, without any effort on our part.

What can attract involuntary attention? There are a lot of such objects and phenomena; they can be divided into two groups.

Firstly, this is everything that attracts attention with its external properties:

Bright light phenomena (lightning, colorful advertising, lights suddenly turned on or off);

Unexpected taste sensations (bitterness, acidity, unfamiliar taste);

Something new (a dress from a friend, a car of an unknown brand passing by, a changed expression on the face of the person you just talked to, etc.);

Objects and phenomena that evoke surprise, admiration, delight in a person (paintings by artists, music, various manifestations of nature: sunset or sunrise, picturesque banks of a river, a gentle calm or a menacing storm at sea, etc.), while many aspects of reality seem to fall out of his field of attention.

Secondly, everything that is interesting and important for this person. For example, we look interesting film or a TV show, and all our attention is directed to the screen. An ordinary person will not pay attention to any traces in the forest, but the attention of the hunter, the tracker will be literally absorbed by these traces, and the attention of the mushroom picker will be directed to the mushrooms.

A book on dog breeding will attract the involuntary attention of a dog handler (a person who professionally breeds dogs), but the same book will be uninteresting and will not attract the attention of a person who is indifferent to dogs.

Most often, what is interesting for a person is what is connected with his main, favorite activities in life, with the thing that is important to him.

Involuntary attention can also be caused by the internal state of the body. A person experiencing a feeling of hunger cannot help but pay attention to the smell of food, the clinking of dishes, the sight of a plate of food.

When it comes to involuntary attention, we can say that it is not we who pay attention to certain objects, but they themselves capture our attention. But sometimes, and quite often, you have to make an effort to break away from interesting book or another activity and start doing something different, deliberately switching your attention to another object. Here we are already dealing with voluntary (intentional) attention, when a person sets a goal for himself and makes efforts to achieve it. In other words, a person has certain intentions, and he tries (himself, of his own free will) to realize them. Conscious purpose, intention is always expressed in words.

The ability to voluntarily direct and maintain attention developed in a person in the process of work, since without this it is impossible to carry out long-term and systematic work activities.

Execution educational activities places high demands on the level of development of voluntary attention. A number of conditions for organizing educational activities contribute to the development and strengthening of schoolchildren’s voluntary attention:

Student’s awareness of the significance of the task: why the task is more important, how stronger desire perform it, the more attention is attracted;

Interest in the final result of an activity forces you to remind yourself that you need to be attentive;

Asking questions as the activity progresses, the answers to which require attention;

A verbal report of what has been done and what still needs to be done;

A certain organization of activities.

Voluntary attention sometimes turns into so-called post-voluntary attention. One of the conditions for such a transition is interest in a certain activity. While the activity is not very interesting, it requires a strong-willed effort from a person to concentrate on it. For example, in order for a person to decide math problem, you must constantly keep your attention on it. However, sometimes solving a problem becomes so difficult for a person interesting thing that the tension is weakened, and sometimes disappears completely, all attention itself is focused on this activity, and it is no longer distracted by the conversations of other people, the sounds of music, etc. Then we can say that attention from voluntary has again turned into involuntary, or post-voluntary ( post-voluntary).

Attention

The concentration of the subject's activity at a given moment in time on any real or ideal object (object, event, image, reasoning, etc.). There are three types of V. The simplest and most genetically initial is involuntary V. It has a passive character, since it is imposed on the subject by events external to the goals of his activity. The physiological manifestation of this type of V. is. If the activity is carried out in line with the conscious intentions of the subject and requires volitional efforts on his part, then they speak of voluntary V. It is characterized by an active nature, a complex structure, mediated by socially developed ways of organizing behavior and communication, and in its origin is associated with labor activity. As the operational and technical side of activity develops in connection with its automation and the transition of actions into operations, as well as as a result of changes in motivation (for example, motive for a goal), the so-called post-voluntary V. may appear. At the same time, the direction of activity remains consistent with consciously accepted goals, but its implementation no longer requires special mental effort and is limited in time only by fatigue and depletion of the body’s resources.

The characteristics of V., determined through experimental studies, include selectivity, volume, stability, distribution capability, and switchability.

Brief psychological dictionary. - Rostov-on-Don: “PHOENIX”. L.A. Karpenko, A.V. Petrovsky, M. G. Yaroshevsky. 1998 .

Attention

The concentration of the subject's activity at a given moment in time on a certain real or ideal object - an object, event, image, reasoning, etc. Attention is also characterized by the consistency of various links in the functional structure of an action, which determines the success of its implementation (for example, the speed and accuracy of solving a problem). Attention occupies a special place among mental phenomena. Acting as an inseparable side of cognition, feeling and will, it cannot be reduced to any of these three spheres of the psyche. Attention is the dynamic side of consciousness, characterizing the degree of its focus on an object and concentration on it in order to ensure its adequate reflection during the time necessary to perform a certain act of activity or communication. It manifests itself in the selective reflection of objects according to the needs of the subject and the goals and objectives of his activities. This is a kind of expedient will, very important component in the structure of independence. It provides the individual with the opportunity to concentrate and direct consciousness towards objects that he perceives in the course of activity and about which he thinks or talks. Thanks to sustained attention, he becomes more deeply aware of his practical life and activities, which ensures a selective attitude towards the world, people, business and himself. The main characteristics of attention, determined experimentally, include:

1 ) selectivity - associated with the ability to successfully tune - in the presence of interference - to the perception of information related to a conscious goal;

2 ) volume (breadth, distribution of attention) - determined by the number of “simultaneously” (within 0.1 s.) clearly perceived objects; practically no different from the volume of direct memorization, or short-term memory; this indicator largely depends on the organization of the memorized material and its nature and is usually taken equal to 5 - 7 objects; the assessment of attention span is made using tachistoscopic presentation ( cm.) many objects (letters, words, figures, colors, etc.);

3 ) distribution - characterized by the possibility of simultaneous successful execution of several various types activities (actions); is investigated under conditions of simultaneous execution of two and more actions that cannot be performed by quickly switching attention;

5 ) stability - determined by the duration of concentration of attention on an object;

6 ) switchability (switching speed) - a dynamic characteristic of attention that determines its ability to quickly move from one object to another; To determine the switchability and stability of attention, methods are used that make it possible to describe the dynamics of the performance of cognitive and executive actions over time, in particular when changing goals. There are three types of attention:

1 ) involuntary attention is the simplest and most genetically original; represented by an indicative reflex that occurs when exposed to unexpected and new stimuli;

2 ) voluntary attention - conditioned by setting a conscious goal;

3 ) post-voluntary attention.

Depending on where the object of attention is located - in outside world or in the subjective world of a person - external and internal attention are distinguished. In the course of training, upbringing, activity and communication, a person develops the properties of attention and its types, and their relatively stable combinations are formed - individual typological features of attention, also determined by the type of nervous system. In Russian psychology, a theory of attention as a function has been developed internal control for the compliance of mental actions with programs for their implementation. The development of such control improves the effectiveness of any activity and its systematic formation ( cm.), allows you to overcome some defects of attention, such as absent-mindedness. Experiments with dissected cerebral hemispheres show that attention processes are closely related to the work of the corpus callosum; in this case, the left hemisphere provides selective attention, and the right hemisphere provides support for the general level of alertness.

Dictionary of a practical psychologist. - M.: AST, Harvest. S. Yu. Golovin. 1998.

Organizing information coming from outside in terms of the priority of the tasks facing the subject. Experiments with dissected hemispheres of the brain show that attention processes are closely related to the work of the corpus callosum, while left hemisphere provides selective attention, and the right one provides support for the general level of alertness.

The effectiveness of attention can be determined by the level of attention (,), volume (breadth, distribution of attention), speed of switching and stability.

There are a number of techniques:

To determine the volume of attention, the tachistoscopic technique of D. Kettel, W. Wundt is intended;

To determine concentration and stability - B. Bourdon's proof test;

To determine the speed of switching attention - the Schulte table method.

Voluntary attention is conditioned by setting a conscious goal;

The involuntary is represented by an orienting reflex that occurs when exposed to unexpected and new stimuli.

Psychological Dictionary. THEM. Kondakov. 2000.

ATTENTION

(English) attention) - the process and state of adjusting the subject to perceive priority information and perform assigned tasks. Theoretically and operationally, V. (tuning) is characterized by level (intensity, concentration), volume (breadth, distribution), selectivity (see. , , ), switching speed (movement), duration and stability.

A large number of techniques have been developed for the study of V.: tachistoscopic technique for determining the volume of V. (D. Cattell, IN.Wundt); various options a proofreading test to determine the concentration and stability of V. (the first version was proposed in 1895 by the French psychologist B. Bourdon); Schulte table method for determining V. switching speed; (K. Cherry; see also ); methods of selective reading and selective observation (U. Neisser and R. Böcklin); Strupp test (see Strupp effect) etc. The distribution of energy is studied in experiments in which the execution of one task is supplemented with the execution of another task. Successful distribution is said to occur if the additional task does not impair the performance of the first (main) one. It has been shown, in particular, that deterioration in the motor activity of the arms and legs occurs when simultaneously pronouncing an incoherent set of words and does not occur when pronouncing a phrase repeatedly “To be or not to be?”. Engineering psychologists showed an understandable interest in the distribution of V., who also significantly enriched the factography of V. with numerous works on vigilance(vigilance) And noise immunity of operators.

Along with the so-called voluntary attention also highlights its involuntary form - indicative reaction, which occurs when exposed to unexpected (“new”) stimuli. With this reflex reaction, however, one should not confuse the involuntary and automatic tuning processes included in any process of voluntary activity.

In modern experimental studies, attempts are being made to separate the internal (ideal) components and external motor components in the V. processes. For example, it has been established that, regardless of eye movements, V.'s focus can move in the field of view at a speed of 125 arc. deg/s

Each of us literally every minute and even every second uses a huge amount abilities and uses his psychic potential. Thanks to this, we get the opportunity to fully and effectively interact with the world around us. And memory and attention play one of the most important roles in our lives. We have a topic on memory (added to many other areas), so today we want to talk specifically about attention.

In this article we will talk about what attention is and consider its types and properties, and also try to understand how attention works.

What is attention? What is attention like?

The term attention is usually understood as the focus of human consciousness (or mental focus) on specific objects and phenomena that have situational or stable significance for a person. This concept also means concentration of consciousness, which implies high degree sensory, motor or intellectual activity.

Attention can be of several types: involuntary, voluntary and post-voluntary, with the first two being of particular interest.

Involuntary attention

Involuntary attention (also called emotional or passive) is the concentration of consciousness on some object, due to its characteristics. In this case, there is a dependence of attention on the object that attracts it, and the person himself lacks efforts aimed at concentration. And speaking about the emotional component, they highlight the connection between the object of attention and emotions, needs and interests. There is also no volitional effort aimed at concentration.

Any stimulus with different strengths impact. When the stimulus is new, it also becomes the cause of involuntary attention. A person’s feelings – moral, aesthetic and intellectual – play a huge role in the appearance of involuntary attention. If, for example, an object causes delight or surprise, attention is drawn to it for a long time. And with interest, as with direct interest in something and as with a selective attitude towards reality, feelings are associated. For this reason, interest is recognized as the most important reason for long-term involuntary attention.

Voluntary attention

Voluntary attention (called volitional or active) is considered to be consciously controlled concentration on a phenomenon or object. Here a person focuses not on what is of interest to him, and not on what gives him pleasure, but on what he needs to do. The presented type of attention is directly related to the will.

When a person concentrates on something, he makes an effort of will that maintains attention throughout the entire process. Willpower can be perceived as the mobilization of resources or the tension necessary to solve a given task.

Voluntary attention occurs when a person has a goal to perform some work that requires concentration. And the reason for the origin of this type of attention in general is work. The most important condition that supports voluntary attention is the mental state. For example, if a person is tired, it is more difficult for him to concentrate. Also, voluntary attention is weakened by emotional arousal caused by extraneous stimuli.

Features of attention and parameters, regardless of its type, can very often be regarded as a characteristic of a person’s abilities and capabilities. Thus, attention and memory are closely interconnected, attention influences, etc.

Features of attention

Features of attention are expressed in its properties: volume, concentration, distribution, stability, fluctuations and switchability. A little about each of them:

• Volume– expressed in the number of simultaneously perceived objects. It depends on genetic factors, the potential of short-term memory (by the way, we advise you to read about this topic), existing experience, professional skills, goals and nuances of perceived objects.
• Concentration– the level of concentration of the psyche on an object. In the process of concentration, a temporary focus of mental activity is created. The smaller the volume of perceived objects, the higher the concentration. Read more about attention and concentration.
• Distributability– a person’s ability to simultaneously perform a number of actions or observe several objects or phenomena. The distribution of attention is due to the fact that the brain can optimally distribute excitability across cortical areas. This provides the ability to manage several processes simultaneously.
• Sustainability– is the general focus of attention. It depends on the type nervous system, motivation and . The most important condition sustainability is the variety of impressions received. Its opposite property is distractibility. We also have a topic on the topic of attention span.
• Oscillations- phenomena that are observed even when a person is concentrated and tense. They are explained by the process of constant change of excitation and inhibition in the cerebral cortex. If fluctuations occur over a long period of time, they can cause involuntary distraction.
• Switchability– represents a restructuring of attention from one object or phenomenon to another. Switchability can be voluntary or involuntary. The first occurs when the nature of the activity changes or new tasks are set, and the person makes volitional efforts. The second occurs without the participation of the will, but under the influence of external factors.

These are the main features of attention. You should know that (as well as training attention) requires the activation of all its properties in this process.

Finally, attention theories can help us gain additional insight into how attention works. For informational purposes only, let’s say a little about the most common ones.

Theories of attention

So, the most popular theories of attention include:

• Theodule Ribot's theory. According to her, attention is closely related to emotions. They are the ones who call him. The state of attention is characterized by changes in the physical and physiological state of the body, for example, increased blood circulation in actively involved organs, motor, respiratory and vascular reactions. The state of concentration is characterized by movement of all parts of the body, which allows you to maintain attention.
• The theory of Peter Galperin. Attention is a psychological action aimed at the content of a thought, image or other phenomenon that is currently in the human mind. Attention performs the function of controlling content and is an independent act, where the action is performed not just in the mind, but also in an abbreviated form. Voluntary attention is carried out systematically. Any type of attention is the result of the formation of new efforts of the mind.
• Donald Broadband's theory. When a person performs two things at the same time, the so-called filter, which passes through itself and recognizes objects of attention, switches from one channel of perception to another. The amount of data taken into account depends on the bandwidth of the channel. The author of the theory was able to justify the filtering process, but he was unable to explain how data that does not attract attention is perceived.
• The theory of Anna Treisman. Broadband's theory is complemented here: the perceptual register and the limited-capacity filter are separated by an attenuating device. This device attenuates the signal and also performs semantic analysis.
• Diana and Anthony Deutsch's theory. Any stimulus is first processed in RAM, and selection is carried out when the information itself is processed. The memory capacity is limited, as a result of which only a fraction of the data remains in it. And this part is already analyzed - the information is assessed as important or not important.

Among other theories, the theories of Daniel Kahneman, William James, Nikolai Lange, Dmitry Uznadze, Lev Vygotsky and others stand out. All of them are interesting in their own way and worthy of study.

Of course, issues related to the topic of attention cannot be considered in one article. Therefore, we advise you to turn to the works of the above-mentioned researchers - then it will become much easier to understand how attention works. So, read more and never stop learning. We wish you success!