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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention | 3/5 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T11:04:13.138266+00:00 | kb-cron |
=== Load === Some individuals can perform certain overlearned tasks with minimal conscious attention. For example, highly trained Morse code operators have been shown to copy messages accurately while engaging in a concurrent conversation. This reflects the development of automaticity through extensive practice: once a skill is overlearned beyond 100% accuracy, its execution can become largely autonomous and require fewer attentional resources. Perceptual load theory proposes that attentional resources are limited and must be fully used. Under high perceptual load, fewer resources remain available for processing irrelevant stimuli, reducing distraction; under low load, more resources “spill over”, increasing susceptibility to distraction. In applied settings, such as education, measurement often emphasizes accuracy and reaction time (RT), which can obscure finer-grained distributions of temporal and spatial attention.
=== Neural correlates === Eric Knudsen identified four fundamental components of attention: (a) working memory, (b) competitive selection, (c) top-down sensitivity control, and (d) salience filters. At different hierarchical levels, spatial maps enhance or inhibit activity in sensory areas and guide orienting behaviors such as eye movements:
At higher levels, the frontal eye fields (FEF) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex contain retinocentric spatial maps. Microstimulation in the FEF can induce saccades to specific locations, and subthreshold stimulation can enhance cortical responses to stimuli appearing there. The parietal cortex, including the lateral intraparietal area (LIP), contains saliency maps and is interconnected with both the FEF and sensory areas. Exogenous attentional guidance in humans and monkeys involves a bottom-up saliency map in V1, whereas in lower vertebrates, a comparable saliency map is more likely located in the superior colliculus (optic tectum). Highly salient stimuli can trigger automatic orienting mediated subcortically by the superior colliculi. At the neural network level, mechanisms such as lateral inhibition contribute to competitive selection. Attention is associated with characteristic changes in EEG activity. Many animals, including humans, produce gamma waves (40–60 Hz) when focusing attention on particular objects or tasks. Another influential framework, associated with Michael Posner, divides attention into three functional networks: alerting, orienting, and executive attention, which interact with one another.
Alerting is the process of achieving and maintaining a state of readiness. It is associated with right frontal and parietal regions and modulated by norepinephrine. Orienting involves directing attention toward specific stimuli. Executive attention is recruited when there is conflict between competing responses or stimuli. It overlaps with the central executive in Baddeley's model of working memory and is associated with regions such as the anterior cingulate cortex.
== Types == Although there are many ways to classify attention, researchers often distinguish several core types:
Selective attention – focusing on particular stimuli while ignoring others. Sustained attention – maintaining focus over extended periods. Divided attention – allocating resources across multiple tasks or stimuli. Alternating attention – shifting focus flexibly between tasks with different requirements. Spatial, feature-based, and object-based attention – prioritizing regions in space, particular features (e.g., color, motion), or whole objects. The following subsections highlight some specific forms of attention that have been emphasized in the literature.Researchers commonly classify attention into several core types:
=== 1. Focused Attention === Focused attention refers to the basic ability to respond to a specific stimulus (visual, auditory, or tactile). It represents the most fundamental level of attentional processing and is often described as orienting toward a stimulus.
=== 2. Sustained Attention (Vigilance) === Sustained attention is the ability to maintain consistent focus over prolonged periods of time, especially during tasks that require continuous monitoring.
It is closely related to vigilance (long-term alertness). Performance typically declines over time, a phenomenon known as the vigilance decrement. [1]
=== 3. Selective Attention === Selective attention is the ability to focus on relevant stimuli while ignoring competing or distracting information.
It enables functioning in complex environments (e.g., the cocktail party effect). It reflects the brain’s capacity limitations in processing multiple inputs. [2]
=== 4. Alternating Attention === Alternating attention refers to the ability to shift focus between tasks or stimuli that require different cognitive demands.
It involves mental flexibility and executive control. Example: switching between reading instructions and performing a task.
=== 5. Divided Attention === Divided attention is the ability to process or respond to multiple tasks or stimuli simultaneously, often referred to as multitasking.
Research shows performance typically declines when attention is divided across tasks.
=== Vigilant attention === Remaining focused on a non-arousing stimulus or uninteresting task for a sustained period is more difficult than attending to salient or interesting events and requires a specific form of attention called vigilant attention. Vigilant attention is the ability to sustain focus on a stimulus or task that may not inherently engage interest, while resisting distraction by other stimuli or internal thoughts.
=== Divided attention ===