Attention is the concentration of the subject’s activity at a given moment in time on any real or ideal object. The concept of attention

06.11.2012 gost.vvv

An important feature of the human psyche is focus, allowing on any one subject, phenomenon.

The term “focus of attention” refers to the selection by consciousness of a specific object and the direction of full attention to it.

The role of concentrated attention in our lives can be different and can also be perceived differently. It is certainly necessary for a complete, in-depth study of any object.

At the same time, excessive attention on a single fragment of the surrounding world leads to a sharp narrowing of the overall range of attention. And it creates difficulties in the perception of other important objects.

Therefore it should be here. You need to focus your attention only when necessary, and not all the time.

But today, to achieve success in many activities focus and its sustainability are vital. They characterize the duration, depth, and intensity of our mental activity.

Exactly focus distinguishes people who are passionate about some activity and who, if necessary, can switch off from various side stimuli for the sake of the main thing.

But even with very overstable and concentrated attention, there are always involuntary short-term changes in the degree of its tension and intensity. These are fluctuations in attention.

Are there ways to develop concentration? For example, can you force yourself to carefully read a very complex or boring text? This can be done by reading it several times, setting specific goals for yourself.

We are reading this for the first time for general information. The second time - to master the general logic of the plot and material. The third time - to highlight the thesis ( main idea). In other words, you need to learn to look at familiar, familiar phenomena from a different point of view.

Particularly important. It allows you to correctly understand the position of business partners, competitors, consumer desires, and market trends.

For an entrepreneur focus needed in everything from organizing a business, its management, drafting, execution of daily documents and ending with maintaining business negotiations, concluding contacts and agreements.

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Switching attention always depends on two parameters:
1) Novelty of the situation
2) The importance of the situation for the person.
The higher the ratio of these two parameters, the more likely it is that a person’s attention will switch to this particular object.

There is also the so-called indicative reflex, discovered by Pavlov for dogs. But it applies to all higher animals:
You are walking down the street, clearly hear some sound or call and certainly turn your head towards the noise - this is a natural reaction that appeared back in ancient times, when speed of reaction was required when meeting a hidden predator.

About focusing.
This is not a simple matter. What is needed here is will. And interest. The more interesting a task is for a person, the higher the likelihood that he will be able to concentrate on it. The less this matter interests him, the more likely it is that novelty and importance will force him to pay attention to something else.
Will is needed precisely in order to return attention to the subject being studied, even if it is not important or interesting.
But this is not given to everyone. But the will can be trained.

But there are also physical problems with attention. There is such a disease as ADD - attention deficit disorder. It is associated with a reduced content of the neurotransmitter Dopamine, or, to be precise, with its poor transportation in the brain.
This gives rise to symptoms such as lethargy, excessive thoughtfulness, poor facial expressions, inability to learn from one’s mistakes and other not so pleasant things.
Surprisingly different. If the same person does something INTERESTING to him, then this symptom disappears without a trace, since motivation greatly increases the level of Dopamine and the person seems to live a natural life. For some time, while he is engaged in this matter.
But as soon as he returns to his previous uninteresting occupation, apathy, depression and dullness return.

What exactly is the severity of people with ADD? Is this a disease and are there such people among us?
The answers will be:
1) Yes, they are among us
2) They are most likely unaware of their illness
3) It is not so easy to distinguish ADD from a malingerer, which is why doctors do not like this diagnosis, it is too slippery.

But in order to understand whether a person has an attention deficit or not, it is enough to independently conduct the following experiment:
It is necessary that UNFAMILIAR information goes into TWO channels of perception.
Unfamiliar - so that a person does not make a forecast based on past experience
2 channels - because patients with ADD can perceive information only through one channel of attention.
That is, turn on the TV with important news and ask a friend or friend at the same time to tell you something important from today.

And then, you try to reproduce information from the news and information from a friend.
If you have an attention deficit, you will not succeed, and you will understand this after just a couple of minutes of the experiment. If everything is in order, then you will cope with this task :)

And in conclusion: Attention is an important mechanism associated with human consciousness. It is designed to highlight the most important and significant at the moment.
If you love your work, then attention will help you in it, and if work is painful for you, attention will play against you - always distracting you from matters important for your organization.

Concentration is the ability of a person to concentrate on a specific activity, as well as retain certain information in reserves short term memory. If this property has certain disturbances, then the person becomes distracted and uncollected.

What is attention like?

Attention is one of the most important characteristics of human mental activity. By its nature it can have the following varieties:

voluntary is a conscious and purposeful concentration of attention on any object or action that is associated with interest, professional activity, training or other necessity;
involuntary - occurs unconsciously, in connection with some non-standard event or entering a new environment;
post-voluntary - occurs automatically in the case when concentration on any object occurs at regular intervals (work, study, etc.).

Speaking about the types of concentration, we can say that they completely duplicate the classification given above.

Impaired concentration

It is not always possible for a person to concentrate on performing any action, even if this is an objective necessity. This can certainly be considered a violation. A decrease in concentration leads to absent-mindedness, which can be of several types:

True - attention constantly switches from one object to another, without dwelling on for a long time(the case when this condition is caused by nervous or physical exhaustion, as well as severe stress, called prostration).
Imaginary - arises as a result of concentration on some personal thoughts, as a result of which concentration on external objects is not possible
Student - quick switching from one process to another (most typical for schoolchildren and students, which is where its name comes from).
Senile - slow switchability (caused by disturbances in mental processes associated with age).
Motivational-conditioned - we are talking about consciously turning off attention from a particular object or process that causes unpleasant or unwanted associations.
Selective - over time, familiar things cease to attract a person’s attention (we can talk about processes in the body or everyday phenomena).

How to develop concentration

Observing the process of a child growing up, we can conclude that the concentration of attention becomes stronger with age. Based on many years of research, standards were drawn up that determine the duration of school lessons, and later university classes. Nevertheless, even after reaching a certain age, some individuals find it quite difficult long time focus and maintain attention on the same object or activity. In this case, the development of concentration will require some effort both on the part of teachers (if we are talking about a child) and on the part of the subject himself (if we are talking about an adult).

Improvement in concentration abilities is achieved through continuous and diligent training. Concentration in children most often develops on its own. Even those children who find it difficult at first to get used to long and monotonous activities eventually get used to it. Educational process is aimed at ensuring that, upon completion of education, a person is ready for labor activity not only in terms of fundamental knowledge, but also in terms of self-discipline. If, with age, a person does not acquire similar abilities, he needs to resort to training through special exercises.

How to improve your concentration

High concentration is achieved not only by diligent training, but also by creating comfortable conditions. The fact is that any little thing (extraneous noise, phone call and so on) can bring a person out of a concentrated state, after which returning to the previous mode of work will not be so easy. Thus, if you want to concentrate on your work, resort to the following practical tips:

Keep a notepad or piece of paper with you with your current action written on it. Every time you get distracted by something, this tip will help you get back on track.
Choose a quiet place to work, so that outside noise is inaccessible to you. If you work at home or in a crowded office, then there is nothing wrong with using earplugs.
On your desk there should be only the most necessary items for work. Remove anything that might distract you - souvenirs, photographs, etc.
Pledge efficient work- a feeling of comfort and good health. Yours workplace should be equipped with comfortable furniture, and also be located in a well-lit and ventilated room with comfortable temperature. Also, do not forget that the body constantly needs to be replenished with food and liquid.
Always make a list of tasks that you need to complete. At the same time, it is important not to be distracted by anything, and most importantly, not to put off what you started until later.

Concentration - exercises

Sometimes, in the course of their professional, creative or everyday activities, people discover that they are absent-minded and restless. In this case, there is a need to develop and train such properties as concentration. Exercises offered by psychologists allow you to develop the necessary qualities:

For the first exercise you will need a pencil and a piece of paper. Start drawing a line, trying to concentrate all your attention on it. When you realize that you are distracted, draw a zigzag. You will get a drawing that is somewhat reminiscent of a cardiogram, which will help you assess how distracted you are.
If you have a long bus ride or stand in line, make the most of your time. Choose an object for yourself (a poster, a window, a door, etc.), set a certain time on the timer (a couple of minutes will be enough to start with) and try to look and think about it exactly until the alarm goes off. Each time you manage to complete this task without being distracted for a second, increase the time period.
It often happens that while reading a book (even a very interesting one), we are distracted by extraneous thoughts and reflections. Therefore, always keep a pencil with you. When you notice that you are thinking about something other than the plot, make a note in the margin opposite the place where you finished your conscious reading. Also, when you finish a page, mentally review its contents.

Tests to determine concentration

Concentration and stability of attention are important characteristics not only for professional activity, but also for other areas of human life. In order to evaluate these characteristics, psychologists have developed special tests that are used during interviews in large companies. You can also go through them yourself to determine your level of concentration:

The Munsterberg test allows you to determine the level of attentiveness. The subject is given a sheet of paper on which many letters are printed without spaces, including both chaotic combinations and congruent words (23). In two minutes, a person must find them all and highlight them with a pencil, after which the result obtained is compared with the correct answer.
The Schulier test is a table of size 5*5, in the cells of which numbers ranging from 1 to 25 are placed in a chaotic order. short term point to each of them sequentially. At the same time, it is prohibited to make any notes. Results are assessed based on the time spent completing the task.
The “10 words” test involves reading a certain sequence of words to the test taker. They are not related to each other either in meaning or grammatically. Next, the individual will be asked to reproduce these words. Their sequence does not matter much.

Attention training

Training concentration is an objective necessity for those who want to work effectively without being distracted by extraneous activities. The following techniques are perfect for this and can be used during breaks between performing your work duties:

Learn to relax. To do this, set the timer for 5 minutes and take a comfortable position (sitting or lying down). During this time, your body should not make a single movement (even involuntary). If this experience was successful for you, then gradually increase the period of such beneficial rest.
Sit up straight and extend your arm to the side. Turn your head and look at your fingers for a minute. At the same time, you should have absolutely no extraneous thoughts in your head.
Fill the glass almost to the brim with water. Extend your hand with the vessel forward and concentrate your attention on it. Your task is not to splash the water within a minute.

The given training method allows not only to improve concentration, but also to balance the nervous system.

Exercise for the brain

High concentration is the result of active brain function. Just like the body needs morning exercises, the human mind has the same need. When getting ready for work in the morning, or while on transport, do the following set of exercises:

Count from one to 100 and back (over time, the task can be complicated by saying, for example, only even numbers, or those that are divisible by three).
Choose any letter from the alphabet at random and remember all the words that begin with it (if you know foreign language, then you can take advantage of this when completing the task, and you can also introduce restrictions on parts of speech).
Without hesitation, name 20 names (further complicate the task by choosing only male or female).
Choose any letter of the alphabet for which you will need to name the masculine and female name, settlement, animal, bird and product (this is not just good gymnastics for the mind, but also great idea in order to usefully pass the time with the child).

Please note that all of the above exercises must be performed as quickly as possible, without thinking too long.

Physiological aspects

Concentration of attention is not always related to a person’s mental abilities and his psychological characteristics. The physiological component also plays an important role in this issue. That is why improving concentration is inextricably linked with normalizing lifestyle and daily routine:

Make it a habit to get adequate sleep. If you fall asleep late and get up early, then you are unlikely to be able to give 100% of your mental or creative activities. Let 8 hours of rest become your unshakable rule.
Pay attention to your diet. Try to include complex carbohydrates that are processed slowly, constantly nourishing the body in general and the brain in particular. Also before starting working day Be sure to drink a cup of coffee or eat some dark chocolate.
Make time for activities that make you happy. This could be a walk, shopping, hobbies, fitness, watching movies, listening to music and much more. Positive emotions contribute to the production of the hormone dopamine, which has a beneficial effect on attention.
If none of the listed methods has had the desired effect on the process of concentration, then you need to consult a doctor who will recommend you special medications.

Developing concentration is possible not only through special exercises or techniques, but also through constant self-control. So, wean yourself from biting your nails, knocking on the table, actively gesturing, or swinging your legs while sitting.

An important step on the path to high concentration is gaining emotional balance. Try to protect yourself from negativity and stress, and also get plenty of rest. Make it a habit to listen to calm instrumental music. Also surround yourself with objects of those colors that have a beneficial effect on the nervous system and emotional condition(for example, green and blue). Also try not to watch TV shows that have a negative connotation.

For high-quality mental work, it is necessary to develop both hemispheres of the brain. To do this, it is very useful to periodically change hands when performing any ordinary tasks. So, taking a toothbrush or spoon in left hand(and for left-handers - to the right), you will cause activity in those parts of the brain that were not previously involved.

When reacting to the speaker's message, you use non-verbal means communication expressing interest. Your behavior encourages the other person to continue the conversation. However, you must not only perceive, but also process the information received, and for this you need to have focus.

According to the simplest definition, focus- it is aimed at some object mental activity. It appears when what the interlocutor is talking about or the personality of the interlocutor is important.

Remember, the more distracted you are, the less you will understand the meaning of the sender's message; you are wasting time - both yours and your interlocutor's. In addition, if you listen passively or selectively, you will offend the speaker.

Concentration is difficult at times, but necessary for the purpose of effective communication. Prolonged concentration is no less tiring than physical stress. But if you manage to concentrate and understand the essence of the message, then you will understand it correctly and will be able to respond adequately, i.e. solve the problem or issue as efficiently as possible. As a result, you will feel great satisfaction - after all, your efforts were not in vain!
Here are some tips to help you stay focused.

— Eliminate distractions. Disable internal and mobile phones, pager, radio. Put aside the papers that you were looking through before your interlocutor appeared. Remove anything that might distract you. Don't try to do anything else during the conversation. How more attention you pay attention to your interlocutor, the higher your concentration.

— Write down important points . If the interlocutor conveys important information, you should not rely solely on memory. Take short notes - this activates your brain and helps you better focus on the words of the speaker. The recordings will help you make sure that you correctly understood the addressee, and he - that your attitude towards him is serious. Remember, the best memory is worse than the smallest pencil.

Don't try to write down every word, record only the key points. Plus, you need to maintain constant eye contact, so don't get carried away with your writing. Write down only the most important things; It is advisable to check with your interlocutor whether you understood him correctly.

— Visualize what the other person is saying. This is especially useful when talking on the phone because it helps you better understand the message, concentrate, and maintain effective dialogue.

— Ask again if you lose the thread of the conversation.
Sometimes, for various reasons, you no longer understand what your interlocutor is talking about. When you notice that you missed something, give yourself permission to interject, such as, “Could you please repeat that thought,” or “Sorry, I missed something.” If you pretend that you understand everything, you will be doing a disservice to both yourself and your interlocutor. Your aim - effective communication, so quickly find the missing thread.

— Check. If the interlocutor is talking about things that you don’t understand or simply doesn’t express his thoughts very clearly, feel free to ask questions, for example: “Let me clarify... do you think that we should order fewer lunches?” The interlocutor will give you the necessary clarifications or confirmations, which will allow you to correctly understand his thoughts.

Do you think that if a person asks questions or asks again, then he demonstrates his ignorance? What nonsense! Firstly, by asking a question, you help the interlocutor better explain your thought, and secondly, if you don’t ask anything, you’ll never learn anything.

There are five properties of attention: focus, stability, volume, distribution and switching. These properties of attention can manifest themselves in all types of attention - involuntary, voluntary and post-voluntary.

Focus- this is maintaining attention on one object or one activity while distracting from everything else. Concentration of attention is usually associated with deep, effective interest in an activity, some event or fact.

Sustainability of attention- this is a long-term retention of attention on an object or any activity. From a physiological point of view, this means that the focus of optimal excitation is quite stable. The question arises: how long can attention be continuously maintained on one object? Everything depends on two circumstances: firstly, on whether the object itself is mobile or not, whether the object itself changes or not, and secondly, on whether the person plays an active or passive role in this. On a stationary, unchanging object, passive attention remains for about 5 seconds, after which it begins to be distracted.

If a person actively acts with an object, then stable attention can be maintained for 15-20 minutes. Short-term distractions may follow, providing the opportunity for a short break in concentration. The result is a short-term and necessary rest, it is unnoticeable and does not destroy the stability of attention, but allows you to maintain attention to this activity for up to 45 minutes or more.

Frequent involuntary deviation of attention from necessary activities to foreign objects is called instability of attention. Instability of attention can arise from unbearable, excessively extensive, as well as from uninteresting and not useful to anyone. required work, mechanical activity.

Attention span- this is the number of objects that are perceived simultaneously with sufficient clarity, i.e. attention is captured simultaneously. The implication here is important because our attention can usually move very quickly from one object to another, which creates the illusion of a large amount of attention.

Experiments have shown that the attention span of an adult is from 4 to 6 objects, and that of a schoolchild is from 2 to 5 objects. This is provided that separate, unrelated letters are shown. If you show in a tachiostoscope short words, then for a literate person the object of attention will no longer be a letter, but a whole word. Formally, the amount of attention will remain the same, but a person will no longer perceive 4-6 letters, but up to 16, i.e. In fact, your attention span will increase. This shows how important it is to be able to combine objects into one whole, to perceive them as whole complexes.

Distribution of attention- this is simultaneous attention to two or more objects while simultaneously performing actions with them or observing them. In other words, it is the ability to simultaneously perform two or more different activities.

Physiologists explain the distribution of attention by the fact that habitual activities that do not cause any special difficulties can be controlled, as I.P. pointed out. Pavlov, areas of the cortex that are in a certain degree of inhibition.

When an action requires great and complete concentration, other actions are usually impossible. An untrained person was asked to walk on a gymnastic beam, maintaining balance and stability, and at the same time solve a simple arithmetic problem. It was not possible to combine these two actions. While solving a problem, a person lost his balance and fell from a log, and while maintaining his balance, he could not solve the problem. However, an experienced gymnast - a master of sports - will freely complete such a task.

Switching attention- this is the movement of attention from one object to another or from one activity to another in connection with the formulation of a new task. It is difficult to name an activity that would not require such a switch. After all, a person’s attention span is not very large. And only the ability to switch attention gives him the opportunity to cognize the world in all its diversity.

In switching attention, they clearly manifest themselves individual characteristics person - some people can move quickly from one activity to another, while others can move slowly and with difficulty. A person with a weak ability to switch attention is said to have “hard”, “sticky” attention.

Physiologically, switching attention is a movement along the cerebral cortex of an area with optimal excitability. The ability to quickly switch attention depends on the mobility of nervous processes, i.e. in the end it depends on the type nervous system.

There is such a lack of attention - absent-mindedness . Absent-mindedness refers to completely different, in some sense even opposite, deficiencies of attention.

The first type of absent-mindedness is frequent involuntary distraction from the main activity. A person cannot concentrate on anything, he is distracted all the time, even interesting activity sometimes interrupted due to instability of attention. Absent-minded people of this type are said to have “sliding”, “fluttering” attention.

The second type of absent-mindedness is a consequence of a person’s excessive concentration on work, when he, apart from his work, does not notice anything and sometimes is not aware of surrounding events. This type of absent-mindedness is observed in people who are passionate about work, overwhelmed by strong emotions - scientists, creative workers in the field of art.

These two types of absent-mindedness are truly opposite in nature. The first type of absent-mindedness is weakness voluntary attention, inability to concentrate. The second type is excessively strong attention and extreme concentration. In the first case, there is no strong and persistent focus of optimal excitation in the cortex; in the second case, there is a very strong and persistent focus.

Considering the properties of attention, we note that basic properties of attention are: concentration, stability, volume, distribution, switchability .

Focus- this is maintaining attention on one object or one action while distracting from everything else. Concentration of attention depends on age and work experience (increases slightly over the years), as well as on the state of the nervous system (with low neuropsychic tension it increases slightly, and with high stress it decreases).

Focused is called attention directed to any one object or type of action. For example, a person can concentrate on writing, listening, reading, doing some work, following the progress of a sports competition, etc.

In all these cases, his attention is focused only on one given type of activity and does not extend to others: when we read with concentration, we do not notice what is happening around us and often do not even hear the questions addressed to us.

Focused attention is characterized by pronounced external signs. It is expressed in the appropriate posture, facial expressions, inhibition of all unnecessary movements. All these external features have great adaptive value, facilitating concentration.

Focused attention is different high degree intensity that makes it a necessary condition success in performing certain types of activities that are important for a person: concentrated attention is necessary for a student during a lesson, an athlete at the start, a surgeon during an operation, etc., since only with concentrated attention can these types of activities be performed successfully.

Indicator concentration, or concentrations, attention is its noise immunity, determined by the strength of an extraneous stimulus that can distract attention from the subject of activity. The more focused the attention, the higher the prerequisite for more accurate and successful performance of the activity, and, therefore, less fatigue.

The opposite of concentration is the property of attention such as absent-mindedness. Psychologists distinguish ordinary absent-mindedness (a state of attention when it does not focus on one object, but involuntarily moves to others) and imaginary, or “professorial” (manifests itself in deep concentration on one thing, when a person does not notice anything else).

Sustainability of attention - this is the duration of concentration on an object or phenomenon or maintaining the required intensity of attention for a long time . Stability of attention is determined by various reasons:

Firstly, the individual physiological characteristics of the body. The properties of the nervous system and general condition body in this moment time.

Secondly, mental state(excitability, lethargy, etc.);

Thirdly, motivation (the presence or absence of interest in the subject of activity, its significance for the individual);

Fourthly, external circumstances during the implementation of activities.

The stability of attention is explained by the presence of dynamic stereotypes of nervous processes developed during practice, thanks to which this activity can be performed easily and naturally. When such dynamic stereotypes are not developed, nervous processes irradiate excessively, occupy unnecessary areas of the cortex, intercentral connections are difficult to establish, there is no ease of switching from one element of activity to another, etc.

Stability of attention increases by observing: a) the optimal pace of work: if the pace is too slow or too fast, stability of attention is disrupted; b) optimal amount of work; with an excessive amount of assigned work, attention often becomes unstable; c) variety of work; the monotonous, monotonous nature of work has a detrimental effect on the stability of attention; on the contrary, attention becomes stable when work includes various types activities when the subject being studied is considered and discussed from various angles.

Thus, at stability attention is manifested in the time during which a person can be continuously focused on one object. The longer this time, the more stable the attention. But even with stable attention, its focus can change briefly, involuntarily and periodically. This phenomenon is called hesitation attention. Stability of attention on objects of any activity – the most important condition high performance in it. Attention will be more stable in the absence of strong extraneous stimuli distracting it: sound, optical, etc. The stability of attention decreases when deviating from the optimal pace and volume of work for a particular person. It will be most stable in the case when the object of attention is not only physical labor, but also work that requires creative thinking. The richer in content an object is and the more intellectual actions a person can perform with it, the more stable his attention is on this object.

Distractibility attention is a property opposite to stability. Unlike switching, which is done intentionally and voluntarily, attention is always distracted involuntarily and more often when exposed to strong extraneous stimuli (noise in the room, pain, strong odors, unexpected change of environment, etc.). Most people naturally like to work in a calm environment, when nothing distracts them from their work, but a person must accustom himself to work in any conditions, even when something disturbs him.

Considering such properties of attention as concentration and stability, one cannot help but dwell in more detail on such important characteristics How intensity And hesitation attention that affect the effectiveness of activities .

Attention intensity characterized by a relatively greater expenditure of nervous energy to perform this type of activity , in connection with which the mental processes involved in this activity proceed with greater clarity, clarity and speed.

Attention in the process of performing a particular activity can manifest itself with different strength. During any work, a person has moments of very tense, intense attention and moments of weakened attention. Thus, in a state of great fatigue, a person is not capable of intense attention, cannot concentrate on the activity being performed, since his nervous system is very tired from previous work, which is accompanied by an increase in inhibitory processes in the cortex and the appearance of drowsiness, as a protective inhibition.

The intensity of attention is expressed in great concentration on this type of work and allows you to achieve best quality actions taken. On the contrary, a decrease in the intensity of attention is accompanied by a deterioration in the quality and decrease in the quantity of work.

Attention fluctuations is expressed in a periodic change of objects to which it refers.

Fluctuations of attention should be distinguished from an increase or decrease in the intensity of attention, when at certain periods of time it is either more or less intense. Fluctuations in attention are observed even with the most focused and sustained attention. They are expressed in the fact that, with all its stability and concentration on a given activity, attention at certain moments moves from one object to another in order to return to the first after a certain period of time.

The periodicity of fluctuations in attention can be clearly demonstrated in experiments with double images (Figure 49). This figure depicts simultaneously two figures: a truncated pyramid, facing the viewer with its apex, and long corridor with an exit at the end. If we look at this drawing with intense attention, we will successively, at certain intervals, see either a truncated pyramid or a long corridor. This change of objects will occur without fail after certain, approximate

but at equal intervals. This phenomenon is fluctuation of attention. At any given moment, a lot is going on in the human mind. mental processes, differing from each other in the degree of their clarity. In addition to clear images of objects to which our attention is drawn, it contains vague, sometimes very unclear ideas or experiences associated with stimuli to which attention is not currently paid. For example, when a student listens attentively to a lecture, he clearly and distinctly perceives the lecturer's speech. But, in addition, at any given moment the human consciousness will also reflect the environment in which the lecture is taking place: the view of the audience, the faces of the teacher and other students listening and recording the lecture, sun glare on the floor, etc. All these additional the perceptions, of course, are not as clear as the perceptions of the lecturer’s words, but they are still present in the mind while listening to the lecture. One can note the presence in consciousness of even less clear ideas associated, for example, with the events preceding the lecture. Even with the most intense attention, this content of consciousness and the relationship of its individual elements are constantly changing: the words of the lecturer, on which attention has just been focused, will at some point begin to be perceived vaguely and unclearly, and the perception of the surrounding situation or ideas about the upcoming affairs after the lecture will arise in consciousness and fill it almost entirely.

Fluctuations in attention are explained by fatigue of the nerve centers during activities performed with intense attention. The activity of certain nerve centers cannot continue without interruption at high intensity. During hard work, the corresponding nerve cells are quickly depleted and need to restore the spent substances. Protective inhibition occurs, as a result of which the excitatory process in these cells that have just worked intensively weakens, while excitation in those centers that were previously inhibited increases, and attention is diverted to extraneous stimuli associated with these centers. But since during work there is an intention to maintain long-term attention on this particular activity and not on other activities, we immediately overcome these distractions as soon as the main centers associated with the work being performed restore their supply of energy.

Attention span.The scope of attention is characterized by the number of objects or their elements that can be simultaneously perceived with the same degree of clarity and distinctness at one moment.

In any practical activity, a person’s attention is rarely drawn to any one element. Even when it is directed at a single but complex subject, there are a number of elements in that subject. With a single perception of such an object, one person may see more, and another less, elements.

The more objects or their elements are perceived at one moment, the greater the volume of attention; The fewer such objects a person grasps in one act of perception, the smaller the amount of attention and the less effective the activity performed will be.

In this case, a “moment” is understood as such a short period of time during which a person can perceive the objects presented to him only once, without having time to move his gaze from one object to another. The duration of this period of time is approximately 0.07 seconds.

Using a special device - a tachistoscope - you can present it to the subject for 0.07 seconds. a table with twelve different figures, letters, words, objects, etc. drawn on it. During this short period of time, the subject will have time to clearly see only some of them. The number of objects correctly perceived under these conditions (instantaneous perception) characterizes the amount of attention.

There are two types of attention span - with simultaneous and sequential presentation of stimuli. In the first case it is maximum amount objects that can be consciously perceived in an instant of time (usually in 0.1 s) when presented simultaneously, and in the second case - when presented sequentially for 1–2 s.

Nevertheless, it is believed that the numerical characteristic of the average attention span is 5±2 units of information in children and 7±2 in adults.

The scope of attention can be expanded by carefully studying objects and the situation in which they have to be perceived. When an activity takes place in a familiar environment, the scope of attention increases and a person notices more elements than when he has to act in an unclear or poorly understood situation. The attention span of an experienced person who knows the matter will be greater than the attention span of an inexperienced person who does not know the matter.

An increase in the volume of attention can be achieved in the process of its education by comprehending this activity and accumulating knowledge related to it. Great importance at the same time, there is training in this type of activity, during which the process of perception is improved and a person learns to perceive individual elements of complex objects and situations not in isolation, but by grouping them according to significant connections.

Thus, the greater the volume of attention, the more sensory information the human brain receives per unit of time, which means that it has a richer sensory base for its logical processing.

Distribution of attention is the ability for an individual to simultaneously perform two or more types of activities. This does not mean that these types of activities are literally carried out in parallel. This impression is created due to a person’s ability to quickly switch from one type of activity to another, managing to return “to the interrupted action” before forgetting occurs.

The distribution of attention depends on the psychological and physiological state of a person. If you get tired (during the process of performing complex species activities that require increased concentration of attention) the area of its distribution is significantly narrowed.

Therefore, distributed is called attention directed simultaneously to several objects or activities.

For example, we can talk about distributed attention, when a student listens and simultaneously records a lecture, when a teacher during a lecture watches not just one, but all the students in his field of vision and notices whether all of them have time to write down the material. Distribution attention is also shown when the driver is driving a car and at the same time carefully monitoring all the obstacles on his way: the road, the side of the road, other cars, etc. In all these cases, the successful performance of an activity depends on the person’s ability to direct his attention simultaneously to several heterogeneous objects or actions.

With distributed attention, each of the types of activity it covers occurs with a relatively lower intensity of attention than when it is focused on only one object or action. However, in general, distributed attention requires significantly more effort and expenditure of nervous energy from a person than concentrated attention.

Divided attention is a necessary condition for the successful performance of many complex activities, which by their very structure require the simultaneous participation of heterogeneous functions or operations.

Switching attention- this is the ability to quickly switch off from certain types of activities and join new types of activities that correspond to changed conditions. Such a process can be carried out either involuntary , so on arbitrary basis.

Involuntary switching of attention may indicate its instability. However, this is not always a negative quality, since it contributes to temporary rest of the body and analyzer, preservation and restoration of the nervous system and the performance of the body as a whole. At the same time, we can talk about switchability, when there is a deliberate transfer of attention from one object to another or from one its elements to others.

The ability to switch attention depends on the mobility of the nervous system, and, therefore, it is higher in younger people. In a state of neuropsychic stress, this indicator decreases (possibly compensatory) due to increased stability and concentration.

The ability to switch attention largely depends on temperament. A sanguine person, for example, easily and quickly switches attention from one object to another, a phlegmatic person does it without difficulty, but slowly, a choleric person switches attention with difficulty, but if he transfers it, then quickly. A melancholic person has a need for relatively frequent switching of attention due to increased fatigue from monotonous mental activity. It is easy to switch attention from a less interesting object to a more interesting one, from a less significant to a more significant one, from a difficult task to an easier one, from the known to the unknown. In the opposite direction, attention switches with difficulty and more slowly, but this also depends on the volitional characteristics of the person, his training in performing this action.