What is attention? Definition, problems, and activities to work on it.

This article explores the definition of attention, the attention problems that exist, and activities for working on attention.

Definition of attention: what is attention?

Attention is the process by which we direct our mental resources toward certain aspects of the environment, the most relevant ones, or toward carrying out the actions we consider most appropriate among the possible ones. It refers to the state of observation and alertness that allows us to become aware of what is happening around us.

In other words, it is the ability to generate, direct, and maintain an appropriate state of activation to process information correctly.

Fundamental concepts of attention according to Posner:

• It doesn’t process information; it only enables or inhibits that processing. It can be distinguished anatomically from information processing systems;
• it relies on anatomical networks and does not belong to a specific area of the brain, nor is it a global product of the brain;
• the brain areas involved in attention don’t all have the same function; rather, different functions are supported by different areas. It is not a unitary function.

Therefore, it has two main functions: maintaining alertness (vigilance) and selecting the information to which resources will be devoted (monitoring and control).  It selects the mechanisms and the information to be manipulated. The attentional system has limited capacity, which is why it needs to select the relevant information.

You can read about the anatomical bases of attention in the following article for more information.

Development

Involuntary attention develops shortly after the orienting reflex appears in the first weeks of life. Little by little, the baby shows interest in their surroundings and wants to interact with them. In early childhood, voluntary attention, encouraged by adults mainly through play and other activities, begins to take on more importance.

At an early age, children find it hard to concentrate on an activity for a long time, especially if it doesn’t appeal to them. As they grow, they are able to stay interested in something for longer and direct their attention toward what interests them, keeping it there for as long as their interest lasts. Later, children learn to guide their attention on their own, making it more stable.

Around the second year of life, attention becomes more selective. Children aged 3 and 4 can play the same game for half an hour, and at 5 or 6, this can increase to an hour and a half, and they pick up on more details of what they are focusing on.

Middle childhood and adolescence are characterized by the development of increasingly complex cognitive functions. As cognitive skills mature, language becomes the main resource for organizing attention, and motivation becomes the main tool for stabilizing it.

Types of attention

Within this cognitive function, there are five different processes:

1. Sustained: the ability to keep the focus of attention on a task or event steadily over an extended period of time. This type is also called vigilance.
2. Selective: the ability to direct attention and focus on something without letting other stimuli, whether external or internal, interrupt the task.
3. Alternating: the ability to shift our focus smoothly from one task or internal rule to another.
4. Processing speed: the pace at which the brain performs a task (which obviously varies depending on the task and the other cognitive functions involved). It is measured by the time between when the person receives the stimulus and when they respond.
5. Hemineglect: great difficulty with, or inability to, direct attention to one side (usually the left), in relation to both one’s own body and space.

Attention problems and symptoms

The most common difficulties experienced by people with attention problems are:

• Being easily distracted and not paying attention to details,
• difficulty following instructions and finishing tasks,
• making careless mistakes,
• avoiding tasks that require sustained mental effort.

For example, when we keep jumping from one stimulus to another and can’t focus on any of them, we are dealing with an attention problem. This has a decisive influence on memorization, since if we don’t pay enough attention to a stimulus, we won’t be able to process it and retain it in memory.

Articles about attention

Brief anatomical bases of attention

A brief overview of the main nodes involved in the attentional process and how they work, starting from Posner’s model (the most widely accepted) and building on current research.

Attention problems: what they are, types, and symptoms

We live in an age in which we are saturated with stimuli that keep us from focusing on anything. It’s increasingly common to watch a movie while reading the news on the computer and chatting on our phones at the same time. We’re used to multitasking, but do we really pay the attention we need to what we’re doing? How do we know when we have problems with this cognitive function? Can it be worked on?

ADHD

ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by clear symptoms of inattention and/or impulsivity-hyperactivity.

Between 2% and 5% of children and adolescents have this disorder. In schools, it’s estimated that in a class of 30 students, one or two have ADHD.

This disorder is chronic and begins to show before age 7. It is also more common in boys than in girls: for every four boys with ADHD, one girl has it, according to data from the Spanish Federation of ADHD Support Associations.

If you want to learn more about ADHD, you can read the following article:

Rehabilitation of divided attention

This is the last and highest level in the hierarchy established by Sohlberg and Mateer’s clinical model¹, followed by alternating, selective, sustained, and focused attention. This type of attention allows us to carry out several tasks at the same time, which is commonly known as multitasking. In this article, you’ll find guidelines for training divided attention, which is done through three types of tasks.

Rehabilitation of alternating attention

This is the cognitive ability to shift the focus of attention between two or more activities with different cognitive loads. It requires mental flexibility that allows us to switch and carry out the different tasks efficiently, without the cognitive load of one task limiting the performance of the others, and without the switch itself disrupting concentration.

Rehabilitation of selective attention

This is a complex cognitive function that has been studied from different fields, from neuropsychology to cognitive neuroscience, as well as psychometrics and even electrophysiology. As a result, many models have been developed that try to explain this ability from their own perspective.

Rehabilitation of sustained attention

It refers to the “ability to maintain a consistent behavioral response during continuous or repetitive activity.” In other words, it involves maintaining vigilant behavior, focusing our attention on a single stimulus for a certain amount of time.

Cognitive stimulation activities for working on this cognitive function

Attention and memory worksheets for children and adults

Here are 10 NeuronUP attention and memory worksheets that are ideal for neuropsychologists and occupational therapists to use with both children and adults.

References

• Ballesteros, S. (2000, Nueva Edición Revisada y Aumentada). Psicología General. Un enfoque cognitivo para el siglo XXI. Madrid: Editorial Universitas.
• Bruna, O., Roig, T., Puyuelo, M., Junqué, C. & Ruano, Á. (2011). Rehabilitación neuropsicológica: Intervención y práctica clínica. Barcelona: Elseiver Masson.
• Londoño, L. (2009). La atención: un proceso psicológico básico. Revista de la Facultad de Psicología Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia. Volumen 5, Número 8 / Enero – junio 2009.
• Posner, M. I. (1995). Attention in cognitive neuroscience: An overview. In M. S. Gazzaniga (Ed.)
• Posner, M.I y Bourke. P. (1999): “Attention”.
• Rosselli M, Ardila A. Desarrollo cognoscitivo y maduración cerebral. In Rosselli M, Ardila A, Pineda D, Lopera F (Eds). Neuropsicología infantil. Avances en investigación, teoría y práctica. Medellín: Prensa Creativa, 1997.
• Ruíz E. Cómo mejorar la atención de los niños con síndrome de Down. Rev Síndrome de Down 2013; 30: 63-75.

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¿Qué es la atención? Definición, problemas y actividades para trabajarla.