as the main effect of attention

The influence of attention on the mental activity of a person is enormous. We can say that it is the most important condition underlying the possibility of fruitful activity. The fact is that at each given stage of his development, each individual person, apparently, has at his disposal only a certain amount of energy. What this energy will be directed to, in the form of what activity it will manifest itself, depends on our attention. However, since attention means the direction of our mental energy in one direction or another, then it is obvious that the influence of attention must indeed be very great and must manifest itself, first of all, in the activation of the corresponding mental activity. When an artist creates a work, both his attention and activity are maximally concentrated on this work. When Archimedes was completely immersed in his geometric tasks, his psyche worked most animatedly, of course, in the sphere of mental operations; When a person learns to ride a bicycle, trying with intense attention to restore the disturbed balance, the most lively activity takes place in the muscular system of his body.

A natural consequence of this lively work of attention is a faster, more accurate, more fruitful flow of activity. Having considered the individual directions of human mental activity - perception, representation, thinking, fantasy, feelings, we will be convinced that the revival of attention is everywhere followed by a similar effect, but, of course, in forms corresponding to each of these directions.

2. Sensory activity

What influence does attention have on such a form of activity as perception? We already have a general answer: it animates this activity, that is, our sensory mechanism in this case begins to work more energetically than when attention works mainly in a different direction. As a result, we get a higher quality product - clearer and more distinct sensations and perceptions. So, ultimately, we can say that the effect of attention on sensory activity is manifested in the fact that our sensory contents, perceptions

and representations become clearer and more distinct.

And indeed, everyone knows very well that what is perceived more attentively is always more clear and distinct than what is perceived less attentively! This provision was also clarified under experimental conditions: the subjects were tachistoscopically - just as in experiments on the amount of attention - presented with several simple stimuli and asked to answer how many elements they perceived clearly. It turned out that: 1) if the subjects received a warning signal before exposure, they noticed stimuli faster and more correctly; 2) if the subjects something prevented them from concentrating, for example, when some other external stimulus was presented to them along with a tachytoscopic stimulus, they noticed much

fewer items. It is obvious that the weakening of attention is to blame for this. As Westphal's experiments showed, there are several levels of clarity of perception, each of which depends on how much attention the subject pays to the task.

Thus, it is safe to say that the effect of attention is to increase the clarity and distinctness of sensory content.

3. The question of the influence of attention on the intensity of sensory contents

Since attention enhances the clarity of a sensation or perception, it can be assumed that it has a similar effect on their intensity. Moreover, clarity and distinctness, on the one hand, and intensity, on the other, are purely quantitative characteristics of sensation, being purely quantitative features.

This question is one of those questions that the classical psychology of the nineteenth century explored with particular interest and energy. Today, almost nothing remains of this lively interest - this issue, together with the problem of sensation, has moved into the background. Nevertheless, its consideration is not devoid of a certain interest - both in essence and especially in historical terms.

The question of the intensifying effect of attention on the intensity of sensations was resolved positively by almost everyone. The only exception was Munstenberg, who asserted, contrary to generally accepted opinion, that attention does not increase sensation, but, on the contrary, weakens it. But no one supported him, and he remained the only adherent of this view. The disagreement among psychologists on this issue manifested itself only in the fact that some adhered to the opinion that attention has a direct, immediate effect on the intensity of sensation, while others denied this, believing rather that the intensity of sensation intensifies not because it is directly affected by attention, but due to the fact that it contributes to the adaptation of the sense organs, thereby creating a prerequisite for increasing the intensity of sensation - attention only indirectly affects the intensity of sensation. The first opinion was held by particularly authoritative psychologists - Wundt, G. Müller, Stumpf, in the second - by Lipps and others.

Strong arguments in favor of the first opinion were obtained as a result of the experiments of Meyer and Stumpf. Meyer, as a result of straining his attention, received such a visual and intense representation that it even left behind an optical trace. The following conclusion follows from this fact: as soon as the intensity of the representation rises to the level of the intensity of perception under the influence of attention, then a similar effect should appear in the case of sensation!

Stumpf proved that by means of attention it is possible to strengthen any tone in a weak chord, thus hearing a certain melody. As for the strong tones, he failed to further increase their intensity. In general, it has been observed that the influence of attention affects the intensity of a weak sensation, although some authors point to a similar effect in the case of a strong sensation (Bentley). The most indisputable results are obtained by experiments on comparing thresholds. As it turned out, in the case of a greater concentration of attention, the threshold is lower than when the concentration of attention is weaker; it is obvious that the intensity of perception increases.

Thus, the question of the influence of attention on the intensity of sensory contents is resolved positively - if not in general, then at least in relation to sensory contents of low intensity.

4. Influence of attention on motor activity

The revival of motor activity due to motor attention is expressed in an increase in speed, intensification and refinement of movements.

Proving this is very easy:

1. Instruct the subject to knock on the table as quickly as possible with the tip of the karan dasha. Compare how many times he will be able to do this in the case of concentration and in the presence of any interference. You will see that in the first case the result will be higher than in the second.

2. Instruct the subject to squeeze the dynamometer as much as possible by hand in conditions similar to the previous experiment; it turns out that under the influence of attention, motor skills (muscle contraction) will become more intense.

3. Instruct subjects under the same conditions to draw lines of a certain length, and you will see that in the case of concentration of attention, motor skills will turn out to be much more accurate.

It is almost certain that this effect of attention on motor activity is due to the fact that, as has long been known, it promotes sensorimotor adaptation.

The noted fact was discovered during the so-called "reaction experiments". Ludwig Lange was the first to notice that the time of the so-called simple reaction sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. It turned out that when the subject, along with the signal, was given the task: upon hearing the signal, remove the finger from the electric switch as quickly as possible (connected to record time to a sensitive device, for example, Peak's chronoscope, which stops the supply of electric current, as a result of which the arrow of the device stops, indicating in thousandths fractions of a second - the so-called "sigmas" - the period of time from the moment the signal is given to the raising of the finger, that is, until the reaction; this period of time is called the reaction time), then focusing on the task always noticeably reduces the reaction time.

Lange was the first (1888) to note that when the subject pays more attention to the signal, and not to his reaction, the reaction time increases (sensory response) but when he focuses on his movement in order not to be late to answer as quickly as possible, the reaction time is noticeably reduced (motor reaction).

This circumstance clearly shows what attention can do when it is directed to motor skills: it accelerates the reaction following the preliminary perception of the signal; therefore, attention promotes sensorimotor adaptation.

5. Effect of attention on memory and intellectual operations

The influence of attention on memory is very great. Some forms of memory work, such as involuntary memory, are so closely related to attention that it is difficult to distinguish whether one is dealing with the process of attention or memory. In this sense, it is very significant that the Germans also call immediate memory

"the ability to notice" (Merkfähigkeit). Indeed, a great deal of experimental material has been accumulated, which clearly proves that the fruitfulness of direct memory depends most of all on the attention with which the memorized material is perceived.

Attentive perception of the memorized material is also important in the case of other forms of memory. However, the impact of attention on memory is not limited to this. Here we are interested in this question on a somewhat different plane, in particular, what effect does the concentration of attention have on the process of recollection, or reproduction. As soon as the idea becomes clear and distinct under the influence of attention, this means that under these conditions there is a facilitation and refinement and its reproduction. This is especially evident in the case of voluntary recollection - recollection.

As for intellectual operations, it has long been known that without the participation of attention it is not even necessary to talk about them: attention is quite rightly considered the primary condition for any learning. But there are also experimental arguments that once again confirm the undoubted legitimacy of this observation and specify it. You shouldn't stop there. We note only what was revealed in the course of experiments on the study of attention. It turned out that under the influence of attention, the fruitfulness and accuracy of mental work increase. However, from special studies it is known that the speed and accuracy of work have a mutually opposite direction: the more one, the less the other. According to the results of Crosland (1924), there is a negative correlation between them (component, in particular, 0.47). Therefore, when explaining the influence of attention on mental work, both these factors - speed and accuracy - should be taken into account.

6. Attention and feeling

According to Tichener, feeling cannot be the subject of attention. Instead of becoming more distinct and intense under the influence of attention, it, on the contrary, weakens and fades. For example, if an angry person begins to carefully analyze his emotional state, then as a result he will calm down, in any case, the emotion will almost disappear. Therefore, according to Tichener, attention should be understood as a level of clarity of only representation.

Of course, it is wrong to talk about attention in relation to feelings in the sense that it was done in the case of cognitive processes. The fact is that during cognitive processes, for example, perception, the energy of attention and the activity of perception coincide - here attention means the revival of the energy of perception. But in the case of feelings, the situation is different: a feeling, such as grief, is possible only when we are aware of the circumstance that caused it. Without a reason, no one experiences grief: not knowing about the death of her child, the mother does not experience any grief. Thus, the immediate source of feelings is cognitive processes, awareness of the objective circumstances that determine these feelings. When attention is focused precisely on the source of feelings, that is, with a clear understanding of the circumstances that caused the feeling, the energy of feeling and attention is combined, as a result of which the feeling intensifies. But when our attention stops at the feeling itself, then the experience of its source, the circumstances that caused it, is deprived of mental activity, which begins to work in a different direction, thereby ceasing to nourish the feeling.

attention and imagination.

Scientists have calculated that the human eye moves 100,000 times a day. Imagine that these movements are in no way connected with each other, completely aimless and uncontrollable. It is unlikely that the observer will be able to understand such a chaos of impressions. Therefore, he needs a kind of "compass" that would indicate the direction of observation. The role of such a “compass” is performed by attention.

Attention - the focus and concentration of human consciousness on certain objects while distracting from others. What attention is drawn to becomes a “figure” for us, and everything else becomes a “background”. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of attention in human life; it is also called the regulator of activity.

types of attention. Attention is involuntary and arbitrary.
involuntary - self-arising attention, caused by the action of a strong, contrasting or new, unexpected stimulus, as well as a significant and emotionally responsive phenomenon. For example, attention is involuntarily attracted by a loud noise, a brightly dressed person, a shooting star in the night sky, a crying child in the street. We do not need to force ourselves to focus on these events; here we involuntarily fix our gaze.
Arbitrary attention - conscious focus on certain information; it requires volitional effort and, in the absence of interest, tires you after 20 minutes. For example, reading educational material. If you don’t force yourself, you can get a bad grade tomorrow. This is where our capacity for voluntary attention comes to the rescue.
Post-voluntary attention is evoked through entering into activity and the interest arising in connection with this, as a result, purposefulness is maintained for a long time, tension is relieved. The person does not get tired, although post-voluntary attention can last for hours. For example, the book at first seemed boring, and then the person read it. Or at the beginning of the lesson, you listened to me only out of politeness, and then suddenly became interested and stopped forcing yourself to be focused on the material that I present.

Structure and characteristics of attention.
Volume - the number of objects that can be captured by attention at the same time.
No doubt you have heard of the phenomenal abilities of Julius Caesar. He could simultaneously perform several tasks with the same quality, that is, he had a large amount of attention.
Of course, we do not pretend to the laurels of Julius Caesar, but sometimes we can cover several objects at once.
D e stribution - this is the ability to keep several objects in the field of attention at the same time. A good distribution of attention is necessary, for example, for a teacher: you need to simultaneously listen to the answering student or write down new material on the board and at the same time not lose sight of the last desk, where someone is whispering, and the right row, where someone makes faces and makes the class laugh (while the teacher turned away).
Switching - deliberately conscious transfer of attention from one object to another. With a developed ability to switch attention, a person can easily move from one type of activity to another.
Remember situations when a joke was made in the lesson, everyone was distracted and focused on the comicality of what was happening. But then you still need to get back to work. So this is where your ability to switch is manifested: someone immediately gets to work, and someone else laughs for half a lesson.
P e r s e v e r a t i o - a phenomenon associated with difficulty switching attention. The phenomenon of perseveration often occurs when a person is tired.

Stability characterizes the duration of focusing attention on the object. If you are able to focus on one type of activity for a long time and at the same time the quality of the work you do does not decrease, then we can talk about a high level of development of the stability of your attention. And it happens the other way around: we start doing something neatly and beautifully, after a while everything goes “at random”.
Possible to leban and I attention. If you hold a watch near your ear without moving it, the ticking sound will either disappear or appear due to fluctuations in attention.
Concentration of attention - the degree of focus on the object. This quality is especially valuable in situations with increased emotional stress. Very often, on test papers, a long-awaited note with a solution comes to you literally a minute before the call, by this moment your hands are trembling and your head is not thinking well. Only the ability to maximize concentration can help you. If you manage to pull yourself together and not think about the pressure of time, that someone is pushing you in the side so that you write faster (he needs it too), then only in this case you will be able to rewrite without making mistakes. This is the power of concentration.
Factors affecting voluntary attention.
The reasons that affect the ability to voluntary attention and its characteristics include:
- installation
-motivation;
-emotional condition;
- personality traits (for example, a tendency to worry and worry);
- stimulus intensity;
- the significance of the stimulus or situation;
- features of the situation.

Development in n and m and n and I.
Attention can be developed. Attention training is very important for successful study, and indeed any purposeful activity.

We hope you can perform your observation on your "object". Try to appreciate his attention.

Imagination, fantasy - is the creation of images in a person's head, never before in general perceived. These images are constructed by us from those elements that were once perceived by the senses. We retrieve them from memory and make images of imaginary objects. images Imaginations can be visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory and, of course, complex (complex). Examples: imagine a slice of lemon in your mouth, the smell of ammonia, rainbow colors, etc.

Imagination helps us when reading, listening to literary works, in solving various problems, performing practical work. Images of the imagination help to present the goal, precede the receipt of a real result. Examples of the activity of the imagination are also dreams, fantasies, daydreams, dreams.

Imagination is the basis of creativity. Without imagination, nothing new can be created: neither works of art, literature, nor technical devices, architectural structures. K.E. Tsiolkovsky wrote: "At first, thought, fantasy, fairy tale inevitably come, and then the execution crowns the thought." Exercises help develop imagination.

Attention - the focus and concentration of human consciousness on certain objects while distracting from others. What attention is drawn to becomes a “figure” for us, and everything else becomes a “background”. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of attention in human life; it is also called the regulator of activity. types of attention. Attention is involuntary and arbitrary. involuntary - spontaneously arising attention caused by the action of a strong, contrasting or new, unexpected stimulus, as well as a significant and emotionally responsive phenomenon. For example, attention is involuntarily attracted by a loud noise, a brightly dressed person, a shooting star in the night sky, a crying child in the street. We do not need to force ourselves to focus on these events; here we involuntarily fix our gaze. Arbitrary attention - conscious focus on certain information; it requires volitional effort and, in the absence of interest, tires you after 20 minutes. For example, reading educational material. If you don’t force yourself, you can get a bad grade tomorrow. This is where our capacity for voluntary attention comes to the rescue. Post-voluntary attention is evoked through entering into activity and the interest arising in connection with this, as a result, purposefulness is maintained for a long time, tension is relieved. The person does not get tired, although post-voluntary attention can last for hours. For example, the book at first seemed boring, and then the person read it. Or at the beginning of the lesson, you listened to me only out of politeness, and then suddenly became interested and stopped forcing yourself to be focused on the material that I present.

Factors affecting voluntary attention.

The reasons that affect the ability to voluntary attention and its characteristics include:

Installation

Motivation

Emotional condition

Stimulus intensity

Significance of the stimulus or situation

Features of the situation.

Personality traits (e.g. tendency to worry and worry)

Attention can be developed. Attention training is very important for successful study, and indeed any purposeful activity.

21. Types of memory and their features:

Memory is a process consisting in remembering, preserving, restoring and forgetting the acquired experience. The ability to store information about the events of the external world and the reactions of the body for a long time and repeatedly use it in the sphere of consciousness to organize subsequent activities.

Memory is a highly unreliable data store, the contents of which can easily change under the influence of new information. The events of our life pass through our memory. Some of them linger in its cells for a long time, while others only for the time it takes to pass through these cells. On the other hand, if all non-essential information were preserved, then the brain, in the end, would no longer be able to separate the main from the secondary, and its activity would be completely paralyzed. Therefore, memory is the ability not only to memorize, but also to forgetting.

Types of memory.

In the structure of memory, several types of it can be distinguished according to five different criteria: by content, arbitrariness of use, time of storing the information received, the use of mnemotechnical means, and the participation of thinking in memory processes.

motor memory- this is the memorization, preservation and reproduction of various movements and their systems. It serves as the basis for the formation of walking, writing, labor and other skills.

emotional memory is a memory of feelings. It allows you to regulate behavior depending on previously experienced feelings, provides the ability for sympathy, empathy.

figurative memory- this is a memory for ideas, for pictures of nature and life, as well as for sounds, smells, tastes. It can be visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory. Her ideas are, in particular, related to professional activities. Verbal - logical memory - with this memory, thoughts expressed in words are remembered, reflecting the essence of the phenomena being studied . This type of memory is unique to humans.

According to the degree of arbitrariness of use:

involuntary memory, in which memorization and reproduction occurs without volitional effort, of course.

Arbitrary memory- memory controlled by the will of a person, when he consciously sets himself the goal of remembering or recalling something.

By the duration of information storage:

short term memory is a way of storing information for a short period of time. In short-term memory, not a complete, but only a generalized image of the perceived, its most essential elements, is stored.

RAM This is a memory designed to store information for a certain, predetermined period, in the range from several seconds to several days. The period of storage of information in this memory is determined by the task facing the person, and is designed only for solving this problem. After that, the information may disappear from the RAM.

long term memory it is a memory capable of storing information for an almost unlimited period of time. Information that has fallen into the storage of long-term memory can be reproduced by a person as many times as desired without loss. Moreover, repeated and systematic reproduction of this information only strengthens its traces in long-term memory. The latter presupposes the ability of a person at any necessary moment to recall what he once remembered. When using long-term memory, recall often requires thinking and willpower, so its functioning in practice is usually associated with these two processes.

By the participation of thinking in processes:

mechanical memory based on simple, repeated repetition of material. With its help, the multiplication table, formulas, etc. are remembered.

logical memory, is based on understanding, comprehension of the material, on its presentation in the form of an easily remembered scheme.

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………2

Development of attention…………………………………………………………………...3

Development of voluntary attention…………………………………………………….4

Correlation of types of attention…………………………………………………………5

Types of attention………………………………………………………………….........6

Involuntary attention…………………………………………………………..7

Arbitrary attention………………………………………………………………..8

After-voluntary attention…………………………………………………………9

Properties of attention……………………………………………………………………..10

1. Volume………………………………………………………………………...10

   Sustainability………………………………………………………………..10

   Intensity……………………………………………………………....11

   Concentration……………………………………………………………….11

   Distribution……………………………………………………………….12

   Switching……………………………………………………………….12

   Fluctuations………………………………………………………………………13

Functions and types of attention……………………………………………………………….14

Violation of attention…………………………………………………………..............15

Distractibility……………………………………………………………………………………..15

Absent-mindedness……………………………………………………………...................................16

Inertia…………………………………………………………………………...18

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...19

List of used literature…………………………………………………….20

INTRODUCTION

The flow of information, the expansion of human contacts, the development of diverse forms of mass culture, the growth of the pace of life lead to an increase in the amount of knowledge necessary for the life of a modern person. The ongoing changes in society had an impact on the development of children who were actively involved in the whirlpool of our turbulent life, and put forward new requirements in general. Pre-school education began to be regarded as the first stage in the entire system of lifelong learning. The preschool institution is designed to create conditions for the intellectual, creative, emotional, physical development of the child and prepare him for school. One of the indispensable conditions for successful schooling is the development of arbitrary, deliberate attention in preschool age. The school makes demands on the arbitrariness of children's attention in terms of the ability to act without distractions, follow instructions and control the result.

Children who begin to study at school most often suffer from absent-mindedness or underdevelopment of their attention. It is just as important to develop and improve attention as it is to teach writing, counting, and reading. Attention is expressed in the exact execution of the actions associated with it. The images obtained with careful perception are distinguished by clarity and distinctness. In the presence of attention, thought processes proceed faster and more correctly, movements are performed more accurately and clearly.

The attention of a preschooler reflects his interests in relation to the surrounding objects and the actions performed with them. The child is focused on an object or action only until his interest in this object or action fades. The appearance of a new object causes a switch of attention, so children rarely do the same thing for a long time.

At present, the problems of developing attention and conducting psycho-correctional work with children with attention disorders have become relevant. However, recommendations for practical psychologists on these issues relate mainly to elementary school and do not cover the experience of organizing psycho-correctional work with preschool children, although today, for further successful education, early detection and correction of attention disorders is necessary already in children of older preschool age.

Attention is always focus on something. In the selection of one object from the mass of others, the so-called selectivity of attention is manifested: interest in one is simultaneous inattention to another. Attention in itself is not a special cognitive process. It is inherent in any cognitive process (perception, thinking, memory) and acts as the ability to organize this process.

Attention is one of the phenomena of orienting-investigative activity. It is a mental action aimed at the content of an image, thought or other phenomenon. Attention plays an essential role in the regulation of intellectual activity. According to P.Ya. Galperin, "attention nowhere appears as an independent process, it is revealed as an orientation, mood and concentration of any mental activity on its object, only as a side or property of this activity."

Attention does not have its own separate and specific product. Its result is the improvement of every activity with which it accompanies.

Attention is a mental state that characterizes the intensity of cognitive activity and is expressed in its concentration on a relatively narrow area (actions, object, phenomenon).

There are the following forms of attention

Sensory (perceptive);

Intellectual (thinking);

Motor (motor).

The main functions of attention are:

Activation of necessary and inhibition of currently unnecessary mental and physiological processes;

Purposeful organized selection of incoming information (the main selective function of attention);

Retention, preservation of images of a certain subject content until the goal is achieved;

Ensuring long-term concentration, activity on the same object;

Regulation and control of the course of activities.

Attention is connected with the interests, inclinations, vocation of a person, such personal qualities as observation, the ability to notice subtle, but significant signs in objects and phenomena, also depend on his characteristics.

Attention consists in the fact that a certain idea or sensation occupies a dominant place in consciousness, displacing others. This is a greater degree of cognizability of this impression and is the main fact or effects, namely:

Analytical effect of attention - this view becomes more detailed, we notice more details in it;

Fixing effect - the idea becomes more stable in the mind, does not disappear so easily;

Amplifying effect - the impression, at least in most cases, is made stronger: due to the inclusion of attention, a weak sound seems somewhat louder.

2. DEVELOPMENT OF ATTENTION

The attention of the child at the beginning of preschool age reflects his interest in the surrounding objects and the actions performed with them. The child is focused until the interest fades. The appearance of a new object immediately causes a switch of attention to it. Therefore, children rarely do the same thing for a long time.

During preschool age, due to the complication of children's activities and their movement in general mental development, attention acquires greater concentration and stability. So, if younger preschoolers can play the same game for 30-40 minutes, then by the age of five or six, the duration of the game increases to two hours. This is explained by the fact that the game of six-year-olds reflects more complex actions and relationships of people and interest in it is supported by the constant introduction of new situations. The stability of children's attention also increases when looking at pictures, listening to stories and fairy tales. Thus, the duration of looking at a picture approximately doubles by the end of preschool age, a six-year-old child is better aware of the picture than a younger preschooler, highlights more interesting aspects and details in it.

DEVELOPMENT OF VOLUNTARY ATTENTION

The main change in attention at preschool age is that for the first time children begin to control their attention, consciously direct it to certain objects, phenomena, and hold on to them, using some means for this. The origins of voluntary attention lie outside the personality of the child. This means that the development of involuntary attention by itself does not lead to the emergence of voluntary attention. The latter is formed due to the fact that adults include the child in new activities and, with the help of certain means, direct and organize his attention. By guiding the child's attention, adults give him the same means by which he subsequently begins to control attention himself.

In one experiment with children, they played a game of questions and answers similar to the game of forfeits with prohibitions: "Yes" and "No" do not say, do not take white and black. During the game, the child was asked a series of questions. The child had to answer as quickly as possible and at the same time follow the instructions:

do not name prohibited colors, such as black and white;

do not name the same color twice;

The experiment was designed in such a way that the child could fulfill all the conditions of the game, but this required constant attention from him, and in most cases the preschoolers did not cope with the task.

A different result was obtained when an adult offered the child a set of colored cards to help, which became external aids for successfully focusing attention on the conditions of the game. The most ingenious children began to use these aids on their own. They singled out the forbidden colors, white and black, put aside the corresponding cards and, during the game, used the cards that lay in front of them.

In addition to situational means that organize attention in connection with a particular particular task, there is a universal means of organizing attention - speech. Initially, adults organize the attention of the child with the help of verbal instructions. He is reminded of the need to perform a given action, while taking into account other circumstances (when you fold the turret, you choose the largest ring! That's right! And where is the largest now? Remember !!! etc.). Later, the child himself begins to designate verbally those objects and phenomena that need to be paid attention to in order to achieve the desired result.

As the planning function of speech develops, the child acquires the ability to organize his attention in advance on the upcoming activity, to formulate verbally what he should be guided by.

The importance of verbal self-instruction for the organization of attention is clearly seen from the following example. Preschool children were asked to select from ten cards with images of animals those that had at least one of the indicated images (for example, a chicken or a horse), but in no case should they take cards that had a forbidden image (for example, a bear). The child selected the cards several times in a row. Initially, he was not given any instructions as to the mode of action. Under these conditions, he hardly completed the task, often lost his way. However, the situation changed when the child was asked to repeat the instructions aloud (after carefully examining the images on the cards, he remembered which cards he could take and which he could not). Observations have shown that after pronouncing instructions, almost all children, starting from senior preschool age, give correct solutions, even if new animals are introduced into subsequent tasks. Children actively used speech to organize their attention in the process of selecting cards.

During preschool age, the use of speech to organize one's own attention increases dramatically. This is manifested, in particular, in the fact that when performing tasks according to the instructions of an adult, children of older preschool age pronounce the instructions ten to twelve times more often than younger preschoolers. Thus, voluntary attention is formed at preschool age with a general increase in the role of speech in regulating the child's behavior.

CORRELATION OF TYPES OF ATTENTION

Although children of four or six years of age begin to master voluntary attention, involuntary attention remains predominant throughout preschool childhood. It is difficult for children to concentrate on monotonous and unattractive activities for them, while in the process of playing or solving an emotionally charged productive task, they can remain attentive for a long time. This feature of attention is one of the reasons why preschool education cannot be based on tasks that require constant tension of voluntary attention. The elements of the game used in the classroom, productive activities, frequent changes in the forms of activity allow maintaining the attention of children at a fairly high level.

It should be noted that starting from senior preschool age, they become able to keep their attention on actions that acquire intellectually significant interest for them (puzzle games, riddles, tasks of an educational type). The stability of attention in intellectual activity increases markedly by the age of seven.

By the end of preschool age in children, the ability to voluntary attention begins to develop intensively. In the future, voluntary attention becomes an indispensable condition for the organization of educational activities at school.

TYPES OF ATTENTION

Attention has lower and higher forms. The former are represented by involuntary attention, the latter by voluntary attention.

Kind of attention	Occurrence condition	Main characteristic	Mechanism
involuntary	The action of a strong, contrasting or significant stimulus that causes an emotional response	Involuntariness, ease of occurrence and switching	Orienting reflex or dominant, characterizing a more or less stable interest of the individual
Arbitrary	Statement (acceptance) of the problem	Orientation according to the task. Requires willpower, tiresome	The leading role of the second signaling system (words, speech)
Post-voluntary	Entry into activities and the resulting interest	Maintaining focus and relieving stress	Dominant characterizing the interest that arose in the course of this activity

Attention can be passive (involuntary) or active (voluntary). These types of attention differ from each other only in their complexity.

There are cases when attention is involuntarily directed to something, i.e. one gets the impression that we do not pay attention to objects or phenomena, and they “take by storm” our consciousness due to their intensity.

Factors that determine involuntary attention:

The intensity of the stimulus;

The quality of the stimulus;

Repetition;

The suddenness of the appearance of the object;

Object movement;

The novelty of the object;

Consent with the present content of consciousness.

The arbitrariness of attention develops along with the formation of its individual properties. There is also a third stage in the formation of attention - it consists in returning to involuntary attention. This type of attention is called "post-voluntary". concept post-voluntary attention was put into use by N.F. Dobrynin. Post-voluntary attention arises on the basis of voluntary attention and consists in focusing on an object due to its value (significance, interest) for the individual. Thus, three stages of development of attention can be distinguished:

Primary attention, caused by a variety of stimuli that produce a strong effect on the nervous system;

Secondary attention - focus on one object, despite the presence of others (differentiation);

Post-voluntary attention, when an object is held in attention without special effort.

5.1. INVOLVED ATTENTION

Involuntary (unintentional) attention is called attention, which is caused by certain features of the objects acting at the moment without the intention of being attentive to them. The emergence of involuntary attention is determined by physical, psychophysiological and mental factors and is associated with the general orientation of the personality. It arises without volitional effort.

Causes of involuntary attention:

Objective features of objects and phenomena (their intensity, novelty, dynamism, contrast);

Structural organization (combined objects are perceived more easily than randomly scattered ones);

The intensity of the object - a stronger sound, a brighter poster, etc., is more likely to attract attention;

Novelty, unusual objects;

Sharp change of objects;

Subjective factors in which the selective attitude of a person to the environment is manifested;

The ratio of the stimulus to the needs (what meets the needs attracts attention, first of all).

The main function of involuntary attention is the quick and correct orientation of a person in constantly changing conditions, the selection of those objects that can have the greatest meaning in life at the moment.

Depending on the internal conditions, three types of involuntary attention are distinguished.

1. Determinants forced attention presumably lie in the species experience of the organism. Since the training of this form of attention plays a minor role, it is called innate, natural or instinctive. In this case, external and internal activity is reduced to a minimum or takes on an automatic character.

2. The second kind of involuntary attention depends not so much on the specific, but on the individual experience of the subject. It also develops on an instinctive basis, but in a delayed manner, in the process of spontaneous learning and adaptation of a person to certain conditions of life. To this extent, these processes and conditions coincide or do not coincide among representatives of different age and social groups, general and individual zones of objects of attention and inattention are formed. Such Attention can be called involuntary. The coercive nature and emotional impact of the impressions, thoughts, ideas that cause it are relatively small. Unlike the stimulus of forced attention, the objects of involuntary attention penetrate the area of ​​consciousness at moments of relative inactivity, periods of rest and actualization of needs. Under these conditions, attention is drawn to nearby objects, voices, and so on.

3. The third type of involuntary attention can be called habitual attention. Some authors consider it a consequence or a special case of voluntary attention, while others consider it a transitional form. On the part of the subject, this form of attention is due to attitudes, the intention to perform this or that activity.

Forced, involuntary, habitual attention as a variety of involuntary attention is united by the fact that their motives lie outside the human consciousness.

Unintentional attention is characterized by the following features:

A person is not previously prepared for the perception of an object or action;

The intensity of unintentional attention is determined by the characteristics of stimuli;

Not long in time (attention lasts as long as the corresponding stimuli act, and if it is not fixed, it stops at the end of their action). These features of unintentional attention make it unable to provide a good quality of this or that activity.

5.2. ARBITRARY ATTENTION

The source of arbitrary (deliberate) attention is entirely determined by subjective factors. Arbitrary attention is used to achieve the goal set and accepted for execution. Depending on the nature of these conditions and on the system of activity in which acts of voluntary attention are included, the following varieties of it are distinguished.

1. The processes of intentionally paying attention can proceed easily and without interference. Such attention is called proper voluntary attention to distinguish it from the cases of habitual attention discussed earlier. The need for volitional attention arises in a situation of conflict between the chosen object or direction of activity and the objects or tendencies of involuntary attention. The feeling of tension is a characteristic of this type of attention process. Volitional attention can be defined as reluctant if the source of the conflict lies in the motivational sphere. The struggle with oneself is the essence of any processes of volitional attention.

2. The volitional character of expectant attention is especially manifested in situations of solving so-called vigilance tasks.

3. A particularly important option for the development of voluntary attention is the transformation of volitional attention into spontaneous. The function of involuntary attention is to create spontaneous attention. In case of failure, only fatigue and disgust appear. Spontaneous attention has the qualities of both voluntary and involuntary attention. With voluntary attention, it is related by activity, purposefulness, subordination to the intention to listen to the chosen object or type of activity. A common moment with involuntary attention is the lack of effort, automaticity and emotional accompaniment.

The main function of voluntary attention is the active regulation of the course of mental processes. Currently, voluntary attention is understood as an activity aimed at controlling behavior, maintaining a stable electoral activity.

Characteristics of voluntary (deliberate) attention:

Purposefulness - is determined by the tasks that a person sets for himself in a particular activity:

The organized nature of activity - a person prepares to be attentive to one or another object, consciously directs his attention to it, organizes the mental processes necessary for this activity;

Sustainability - attention lasts more or less for a long time and depends on the tasks or work plan in which we express our intention.

Reasons for voluntary attention:

Interests of a person, prompting him to engage in this type of activity;

Awareness of the duty and obligation that requires the best possible performance of this type of activity.

5.3. POST-INDUSTRIAL ATTENTION

Post-voluntary attention- this is an active, purposeful concentration of consciousness, which does not require volitional efforts due to a high interest in activity. According to K.K. Platonov, post-voluntary attention is the highest form of voluntary attention. Work absorbs a person so much that interruptions in it begin to annoy him, as he has to be re-engaged in the process, to work in. Post-voluntary attention occurs in situations where the purpose of the activity is preserved, but there is no need for volitional effort.

PROPERTIES OF ATTENTION

Attention is characterized by various qualities or properties. Attention has a complex functional structure formed by the interrelationships of its main properties.

Attention properties are divided into primary and secondary. The primary ones include volume, stability, intensity, concentration, distribution of attention, while the secondary ones include fluctuations and switching of attention.

6.1. VOLUME

attention span- this is the number of objects (or their elements) perceived simultaneously with sufficient clarity and distinctness. The more objects or their elements are perceived simultaneously, the greater the amount of attention and the more effective the activity will be.

To measure the volume of attention, special techniques and tests are used. With age, the scope of attention expands. The amount of attention of an adult is from four to seven objects at the same time. However, the amount of attention is an individual variable, and the classic indicator of the amount of attention in children is 3+-2.

For a child of preschool and primary school age, each letter is a separate object. The amount of attention of a child who begins to read is very small, but as he masters the technique of reading and gaining experience, the amount of attention necessary for fluent reading also increases. To increase the amount of attention, special exercises are needed. The main condition for expanding the scope of attention is the presence of skills and abilities of systematization, association in meaning, grouping of perceived material.

STABILITY

Sustainability of attention- its temporal characteristic is the duration of keeping attention to the same object or activity. Stability is maintained in practical activities with objects, in active mental activity. Sustained attention is maintained in work that gives positive results, especially after overcoming difficulties, which causes positive emotions, a sense of satisfaction.

An indicator of the stability of attention is the high productivity of activity for a relatively long time. Stability of attention is characterized by its duration and degree of concentration.

Experimental studies have shown that attention is subject to periodic arbitrary fluctuations. The periods of such oscillations are usually two or three seconds and reach up to 12 seconds.

If attention is unstable, then the quality of work is sharply reduced. The following factors influence the stability of attention:

Complication of the object (complex objects cause complex active mental activity, which is the reason for the duration of concentration);

Personal activity;

Emotional state (under the influence of strong stimuli, distraction of attention to foreign objects may occur);

Attitude towards activity;

The pace of activity (for the stability of attention, it is important to ensure the optimal pace of work: at too low or too high a pace, nervous processes radiate (capture unnecessary parts of the cerebral cortex), it becomes difficult to concentrate and switch attention.

Stability is closely related to the dynamic characteristics of attention, such as its fluctuations (punctuation). The dynamics of attention is manifested in shifts in stability over a long period of work, which is divided into the following stages of concentration:

Initial entry into work;

Achievement of concentration of attention, then its microfluctuations, overcome by volitional efforts;

Decreased concentration and performance with increased fatigue.

6.3. INTENSITY

The intensity of attention is characterized by a relatively large expenditure of nervous energy in the performance of this type of activity. Attention in this or that activity can be manifested with different intensity. During any work, it manifests itself with different intensity. During any work, moments of very intense attention alternate with moments of weakened attention. So, in a state of fatigue, a person is not capable of intense attention, cannot concentrate, which is accompanied by an increase in inhibitory processes in the cerebral cortex and the appearance of drowsiness as a special act of protective inhibition. Physiologically, the intensity of attention is due to an increased degree of excitatory processes in certain areas of the cerebral cortex while inhibition of other areas.

CONCENTRATION

Concentration of attention is the degree of concentration. Concentrated attention is called, directed to any one object or type of activity and not spreading to others. Concentration (concentration) of attention on some objects implies simultaneous distraction from everything extraneous. Concentration is a necessary condition for comprehending and capturing information entering the brain, while the reflection becomes clearer and more distinct.

Concentrated attention is of high intensity, which is necessary for the performance of important activities. The physiological basis of concentrated attention is the optimal intensity of excitatory processes in those parts of the cerebral cortex that are associated with a given type of activity, while the development of strong inhibitory processes in other parts of the cortex.

Concentrated attention is characterized by pronounced external signs: in an appropriate posture, facial expressions, an expressive, lively look, a quick reaction, and in the inhibition of all unnecessary movements. At the same time, external signs do not always correspond to the actual state of attention. So, for example, silence in the classroom, in the audience may indicate both a passion for the subject, and complete indifference to what is happening.

DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of attention- this is the ability of a person to keep a certain number of objects in the center of attention at the same time, i.e. this is the simultaneous attention to two or more objects while simultaneously performing actions with them or observing them. Divided attention is a prerequisite for the successful completion of many activities that require the simultaneous performance of heterogeneous operations.

The distribution of attention is a property of attention, which is associated with the possibility of the simultaneous successful implementation (combination) of two or more different types of activities (or several actions). Considering the distribution of attention, it is necessary to take into account that:

The difficulty is the combination of two or more types of mental activity;

It is easier to combine motor and mental activity;

To successfully perform two types of activity simultaneously, one type of activity must be brought to automatism.

Of particular importance is the distribution of attention during study. The child must simultaneously listen to an adult and write down, get, open, memorize, manipulate objects, etc. But only if both types of activity or at least one are sufficiently mastered, do not require concentration, such a combination will be successful.

The older preschooler and the younger schoolchild do not distribute attention well, they do not yet have experience. Therefore, you should not force the child to do two things at the same time or, when doing one, distract him with another. But gradually it is necessary to accustom him to the distribution of attention, to put him in such conditions where it is necessary.

The ability for concentrated or, conversely, distributed attention is formed in the process of practical activity through exercises and the accumulation of appropriate skills.

SWITCHING

Switching attention- this is a conscious and meaningful movement of attention from one object to another or from one activity to another in connection with the formulation of a new task. In general, shiftability of attention means the ability to quickly navigate in a difficult situation. Switching attention is always accompanied by some nervous tension, which is expressed in an effort of will. Switching attention is manifested in the deliberate transition of the subject from one type of activity to another, from one object to another, from one action to another.

Possible reasons for switching attention: the requirements of the activity being performed, inclusion in a new activity, fatigue.

Switching can be complete (completed) and incomplete (incomplete) - in the case when a person has switched to another activity, but has not yet been completely distracted from the first. The ease and success of switching attention depends on:

From the relationship between antecedent and subsequent activity;

From the completion of the previous activity, or its incompleteness;

From the attitude of the subject to a particular activity (the more interesting, the easier it is to switch, and vice versa);

From the individual characteristics of the subject (type of the nervous system, individual experience, etc.);

From the significance of the goal of activity for a person, its clarity, clarity.

Along with the switching of attention, its distraction stands out - an involuntary shift of attention from the main activity to objects that are not important for its successful implementation. It is difficult for a child to start a new job, especially if it does not evoke positive emotions, therefore it is not recommended to change its content and types often without special need. However, with fatigue and monotonous activity, such a switch is useful and necessary. Switching attention is one of the trained qualities.

VASCULATION

fluctuations in attention are expressed in the periodic change of objects to which it refers. Fluctuations in attention are different from changes in its stability. The change in stability is characterized by a periodic increase and decrease in the intensity of attention. There can be fluctuations even with the most concentrated and steady attention. The frequency of fluctuations in attention is clearly manifested in experiments with a dual image.

Fluctuation of Attention is explained by the fact that the activity of certain nerve centers cannot continue intensively without interruption. During hard work, the corresponding nerve cells are quickly depleted and need to be restored. Their protective inhibition sets in, as a result of which in those centers that were previously inhibited, the attention is increased and attention is switched to extraneous stimuli.

Attention has selective character. Thanks to this, the activity has a certain direction. Outwardly, attention is expressed in movements, with the help of which we adapt to the performance of actions. At the same time, unnecessary movements that interfere with this activity are slowed down. So, for example, if it is necessary to carefully examine an object, we listen carefully to something, then we tilt our head in order to hear better. This adaptive movement facilitates perception.

Orientation, or selectivity, of attention manifests itself in various forms. Initially, the choice of objects of attention is associated with the analysis of a huge flow of information continuously coming from the outside world. This is tentative - research activity proceeds to a large extent at the level of the subconscious. Selectivity proceeds to a large extent at the subconscious level. The selectivity of attention is manifested in vigilance, alertness, in anxious expectation (involuntary selectivity). The conscious selection of some objects occurs in purposeful cognitive activity. In some cases, the selectivity of attention may be in the nature of a search, choice, control associated with a specific program (arbitrary selectivity). In other cases (for example, reading a book, listening to music, etc.), a clear program is not necessary.

FUNCTIONS AND TYPES OF ATTENTION

Attention in human life and activity performs many different functions. It activates the necessary and inhibits currently unnecessary psychological and physiological processes, promotes an organized and purposeful selection of information entering the body in accordance with its actual needs, provides selective and long-term focus on one object or type of activity.

Directivity and selectivity of cognition processes are connected with attention. Attention is determined by the accuracy and detail of perception, the strength and selectivity of memory, the focus and productivity of mental activity.

Consider the main types of attention. These are natural and social conditioned attention, direct attention, involuntary and voluntary attention, sensory and intellectual attention.

natural attention given to a person from his very birth in the form of an innate ability to selectively respond to certain external or internal stimuli that carry elements of informational novelty.

social conditioned attention develops in a lifetime as a result of training and education.

Directly venous attention not managing anything, except for the object to which it is directed and which corresponds to the actual interests and needs of a person.

mediated attention regulated by special means, such as gestures, words, etc.

involuntary attention not connected with the participation of the will, but arbitrary necessarily includes volitional regulation. Involuntary attention does not require effort to hold and focus attention on something for a certain time, and voluntary has all these qualities.

Finally, one can distinguish sensuous and intellectual Attention . The first is mainly associated with emotions and selective sense organs, and the second - with concentration and direction of thought.

ATTENTION DISORDERS

There are so-called negative aspects of the process of Attention or disturbance of attention - distractibility, absent-mindedness, excessive mobility and inertia.

Attention disorders are understood as pathological changes in the direction, selectivity of mental activity, expressed in a state of fatigue or with organic brain damage, in the narrowing of the object of attention, when a person can perceive only a small number of objects at the same time, in instability of attention, when the concentration of attention is disturbed and its distractibility to side irritants.

The causes of violations can be external and internal. External causes can be considered various negative influences (stressors, frustrators) and negative relationships of the child with other people. The actions of internal causes can be represented as the influence of a disturbed part of the psyche on a healthy one. Attention disorders include:

Inability to maintain attention: the child cannot complete the task to the end, is not collected when it is completed;

Decreased selective attention, inability to focus on a subject;

Increased distractibility: when performing tasks, children fuss, often switch from one activity to another;

Decreased attention in unusual situations when it is necessary to act independently.

Types of attention disorders: distractibility, absent-mindedness, hypermobility, inertia, narrowing of the scope of attention, instability of attention (in violation of concentration).

8.1. DISTRACTABILITY

Distractibility(distraction) - involuntary shifting of attention from one object to another. It arises under the action of extraneous stimuli on a person engaged in some kind of activity at that moment.

Distractibility can be external and internal. External distractibility occurs under the influence of stimuli, while voluntary attention becomes involuntary. Internal distractibility arises under the influence of experiences, extraneous emotions, due to lack of interest and hyper-responsibility. Internal distractibility is explained by the extreme inhibition that develops under the influence of boring monotonous work.

Possible causes of distraction in a child:

Insufficient formation of volitional qualities;

The habit of being inattentive (habitual inattention is associated with a lack of serious interests, a superficial attitude to objects and phenomena);

Increased fatigue;

Bad feeling;

The presence of psychotrauma;

Monotonous, uninteresting activity;

Inappropriate type of activity;

The presence of intense extraneous stimuli;

In order to organize the child's attention, it is necessary to involve him in action, to arouse intellectual interest in the content and results of the activity.

DISSOLUTION

Distracted attention is the inability to focus on anything in particular for a long time. The term "absent-mindedness" means superficial, "sliding" attention. Distraction may appear:

a) inability to concentrate;

b) in excessive concentration on one object of activity;

Absent-mindedness is of two types: imaginary and genuine. Imaginary absent-mindedness is a person’s inattention to surrounding objects and phenomena, caused by focusing on one object (phenomenon) or experience. “With concentrated thinking,” writes I.P. Pavlov, - and being carried away by some business, we do not see or hear what is happening around us - clearly a negative induction.

The mechanism of absent-mindedness is the presence of a powerful dominant - the center of imagination in the cerebral cortex, which suppresses all other signals coming from outside. Distinguish between scientific absent-mindedness and senile absent-mindedness.

The so-called scientific absent-mindedness is a manifestation of a very high concentration of attention, combined with its limited volume. In a state of professorial absent-mindedness, the train of thought is logically ordered and strictly aimed at achieving an ideal and distant goal or at finding a solution to a complex problem. Examples of "professorial" distraction are usually found in the biographies of great philosophers, inventors and scientists.

Attention disorders, called senile absent-mindedness, include its weak switchability, combined with insufficient concentration. A person's attention seems to "stick" on one subject, activity or reflection, but at the same time, unlike "professorial" absent-mindedness, such concentration is ineffective.

A similar phenomenon of absent-mindedness is observed in states of depression and anxiety, when a person's thinking is long and continuously occupied with repetitive and fruitless thoughts and images.

Absent-mindedness is also often called a slight exhaustion of attention, as a result of illness, overwork. In sickly and weakened children, a similar variant of absent-mindedness is not uncommon. Such children can work well at the beginning of a lesson or school day, but they soon get tired and attention weakens. To date, there is a tendency to increase the number of children with various deviations in the state of health and chronic diseases, and, as a result, impaired attention.

Superficial and unstable attention is found in preschoolers - dreamers and dreamers. Such children are often turned off from the lesson, carried away into an illusory world. V.P. Kashchenko points to another reason for absent-mindedness - the experience of fears, which makes it difficult to concentrate on the desired task. Nervous, hyperactive and sickly children are distracted 1.5-2 times more often than calm and healthy ones.

In each case, you have to understand the causes of violations and the severity of an individual plan for correcting absent-mindedness, taking them into account.

There are many reasons for truly distracted attention. The most common are the following:

General weakening of the nervous system (neurasthenia)

Deterioration of health;

Physical and mental overwork;

The presence of severe experiences, traumas;

Emotional overload due to a large number of impressions (positive and negative);

Disadvantages of upbringing (for example, in conditions of hyper-care, a child who receives too many verbal instructions, a large amount of information gets used to a constant change of impressions, and his attention becomes superficial, observation and concentration of attention are not formed);

Violations of the regime of work and rest;

Respiratory disorders (adenoids, chronic tonsillitis, etc. can be the cause of a violation of proper breathing. A child who breathes through the mouth, breathes shallowly, superficially, his brain is not enriched with oxygen, which negatively affects performance, low performance interferes with his concentration on objects and causes confusion)

Excessive mobility;

Excessive mobility of attention is a constant transition from one object to another, from one activity to another with low efficiency.

inertness

Inertia of attention - low mobility of attention, its pathological fixation on a limited circle of ideas and thoughts.

In childhood, inattention is very often noted. Inattention requires correction if the following signs appear in a child for six months or more:

Inability to focus on details, mistakes due to inattention;

Inability to hold attention and listen to speech addressed to him;

Frequent distractibility to extraneous stimuli;

Helplessness in bringing the task to the end;

Negative attitude to tasks that require tension, forgetfulness (the child is not able to keep in memory the instructions for the task during its execution)

Loss of items needed to complete the task.

CONCLUSION

In my essay, I gave the concept of attention, highlighted its types and functions. Thus, we can conclude that the task of forming attention includes not only its development as a separate psychological process, but also the formation of such personality traits that would facilitate the transition of voluntary attention to post-voluntary. This includes the formation of a sense of responsibility for the work performed, motivation for the successful completion of activities, the development of interest, and a clear organization of the activities performed. Specific tasks, as well as the creation of favorable conditions for active, independent work.

Despite the fact that attention studies give rise to numerous unresolved and complex questions, they are undoubtedly very useful, since a person needs to know the techniques and methods that allow him to learn to concentrate his attention for successful educational or professional activities. And knowing the main stages in the development of attention in different years of a child's life, the teacher can find the necessary means to improve attention.

The study of the human psyche and personality, cognitive processes and methods of their training and development is becoming more and more perfect. Psychologists are inventing newer, more modern models to study these processes. A person, using these models, gets to know his inner world more deeply, which allows him to discover new abilities of a person.

10. LIST OF USED LITERATURE.

1. Issues of psychology 1990, no. 4 p. 161-167

2. Volkov B.S., Volkova N.V. Child psychology in questions and answers M., 2002

3. Burmenskaya G.V. Reading book on child psychology. M., 1996

4. Wenger L, Mukhina V. Development of attention, memory and imagination in preschool age // Preschool education. 1974 No. 12.

5. Developmental and pedagogical psychology / Ed. A.V. Petrovsky M., 1973

6. Vygotsky L.S. The history of the development of higher psychological functions // Sobr. cit.: V 6 t. M., 1983. T. 3. S. 5-328.

7. Vygotsky L.S. Thinking and speech // Ibid. T.2.

8. Galperin P.Ya. On the problem of attention // Dokl. Apn RSFSR. 1958 No. 3. S. 33-38.

9. Galperin P.Ya., Kabylnitskaya S.L. Experimental formation of attention. M., 1974

10. Gonobolin F.N. Attention and his teacher. M., 1972

11. Granovskaya R.M. Elements of practical psychology. L., 1988

12. Child psychologist. 1993 No. 6.

13. Dobrynin N.F. On the theory and education of attention // Sov. pedagogy. 1938 No. 8.

14. Dobrynin N.F. and others. Developmental psychology: a course of lectures. M., 1965

15. Dobrynin N.F. On selectivity and dynamics of attention // Vopr. psychology. 1975 No. 2. S. 68-80.

16. Domashenko I.A., Gamezo M.V. Atlas of psychology. M., 1986

17. Ermolaeva M.V., Erofeeva I.G. Guidelines for using the psychological map of a preschooler (readiness for school). Moscow-Voronezh, 2002 5-9 years. M., 2001

18. Psychological journal 1982 T.Z. No. 5 p. 54-65.

19. Reader on attention, ed. Leontieva A.N., Puzyreya A.A., Romanova V.Ya. M., 1976. p. 184-219.

20. Psychology of a preschooler. Reader for students of secondary pedagogical educational institutions. M., Academy, 1997. p. 86-90.

21. Uruktaeva G.A. Preschool psychology. Textbook M., Academy, 1997

The selective nature of conscious activity, which is a function of attention, is equally manifested in our perception, in motor processes, and in thinking.

Chapter 3

A huge number of stimuli reaches a person, but he selects the most important of them and ignores the rest. He can potentially make a large number of possible movements, but singles out the few expedient movements that are part of his actions, and inhibits the rest. He has a large number of associations, but he retains only a few that are essential for his activity, and abstracts from others that interfere with the purposeful flow of his thinking.

The implementation of the selection of the necessary information, the provision of electoral programs of action and the preservation of constant control over their course is usually called attention.

If there were no such selectivity, the amount of unselected information would be so unorganized and large that no activity would be possible. If there were no inhibition of all uncontrollably emerging associations, organized thinking, aimed at solving the tasks set for a person, would not be available.

In all types of conscious activity, there must be:

1) the process of choosing the main, dominant processes that make up the subject to which a person pays attention;

2) the presence of a “background”, consisting of those processes whose access to consciousness is delayed, but at any moment, if an appropriate task appears, they can move into the center of his attention and become dominant.

It is for this reason that it is customary to distinguish attention span, his stability and his fluctuations.

Under attention span it is customary to understand the number of incoming signals or flowing associations that can be stored in the center of clear consciousness, acquiring a dominant character.

Under sustainability attention is usually understood as the duration with which these processes highlighted by attention can retain their dominant character.

Under fluctuations attention, it is customary to understand the cyclical nature of the process in which certain contents of conscious activity either acquire a dominant character, or lose it.

What factors determined by the attention of a person? It is possible to distinguish at least two groups factors that ensure the selective nature of mental processes, determining both the direction and volume and stability of conscious activity.

To the first group include factors that characterize the structure of external stimuli, reaching a person (structure external field).

To the second - factors related to the activity of the subject itself(structure of the internal field).

Let's look at each group separately.

1. The first group consists of factors externally perceived by the subject irritants; they determine the direction, volume and stability of attention, approach the factors of the structure of perception.

One of the factors in this group is intensity (strength) of the stimulus. If the subject is presented with a group of identical or different stimuli, one of which is distinguished by its intensity (size, color, etc.), the subject's attention is attracted by this particular stimulus. Naturally, when the subject enters a dimly lit room, his attention is immediately attracted by a suddenly lit light bulb. It is characteristic that in those cases when two stimuli of equal strength appear in the perceived field and when the relationship between them is so balanced that none of them dominates, the person's attention becomes unstable, and fluctuations in attention in which one or the other stimulus becomes dominant. Above, analyzing the laws of structural perception, we have already given examples of such "unstable structures".

Another external factor that determines the direction of attention is the novelty of the stimulus, or its difference from other stimuli.

If among the well-known stimuli there appears one that differs sharply from the rest or is unusual, new, it immediately begins to attract attention and evokes a special orienting reflex.

Let's give an example of an experiment.

In its first part, among the identical circles, a single cross is given, which differs sharply from the rest of the figures; in the second, several rows of identical lines are given, and in one of these rows there is a gap that distinguishes this place from the rest, in the third - among the same large points, one weak point that differs from them is given.

It is easy to see that in all cases attention is directed to different,"new" element, which sometimes retains the same physical strength as other, familiar stimuli, and sometimes in its intensity may be even weaker than them. It is easy to remember that if a familiar, monotonous sound (for example, the roar of a motor) suddenly stops, the absence of a stimulus can become a factor that attracts attention.

Both of these conditions determine direction attention. However, there are external factors that determine its volume.

We have already said above that the perception of environmental stimuli reaching a person depends on their structural organization. It is easy to see that we cannot successfully perceive a large number of randomly scattered stimuli, but we can easily do this if they are organized in certain structures.

The structural organization of the perceived field is one of the most powerful means of controlling our perception and one of the most important factors for expanding its scope, and a psychologically sound, rational organization of the structure of the perceived field is one of the most important tasks. engineering psychology. It is easy to see how important it is to ensure the most rational forms of organizing the flow of information reaching the pilot who controls the instruments of high-speed or ultra-high-speed aircraft.

All of the above factors that determine the direction and amount of attention relate to the characteristics of external stimuli affecting the subject, in other words, to the structure information coming from the external environment.

It is easy to see how important it is to consider these factors in order to learn from the scientific foundations. manage a person's attention.

2. The second group of factors that determine the direction of attention are those that are associated not so much with the external environment as with oneself subject and co the structure of its activities.

This group of factors includes, first of all, the influence exerted by needs, interests and "settings" the subject on his perception and on the course of his activity.

Analyzing the problems of the biological evolution of animal behavior, we have already seen the decisive role played in the behavior of animals biological importance signals.

We pointed out that the duck emits vegetable, and the falcon - putrefactive odors, which are vital for them, that the bee reacts to complex shapes that are signs of flowers, ignoring simple geometric shapes that are devoid of biological significance for it, that the cat is alive reacting to the scratching of the mouse, does not pay attention to the sounds of turning over a book or the rustling of a newspaper. The fact that the attention of animals is attracted by vital signals is well known.

All this equally applies to a person, with the only difference being that the needs and interests that characterize a person in the vast majority are not in the nature of biological instincts and drives, but in the nature of complex motivating factors formed in social history. For example, a person interested in sports selects from all the information reaching him that which relates to a football match, and a person interested in radio engineering news will pay attention to those books on the shelf that relate specifically to this subject.

It is easy to see that a person's strong interest, which makes some signals dominant, simultaneously inhibits all side signals that do not belong to the sphere of his interests. The well-known facts that scientists, immersed in the solution of a complex problem, cease to perceive all secondary stimuli, clearly indicate this.

Essential to understanding the factors that direct human attention is structural organization of human activity.

It is known that human activity is determined by a need or motive and is always aimed at a specific goal. If the motive in some cases may remain unconscious, the purpose and object of his activity are always recognized. We know, finally, that this is precisely what distinguishes the goal of an action from the means and the operations by which it is achieved.

While individual operations are not automated, the execution of each of them is the goal of this segment of activity and attracts attention; it suffices to recall how the attention of an inexperienced shooter is strained to pull the trigger, or the attention of a beginner to write on a typewriter is strained to each stroke on a key. When an activity is automated, the individual operations that make up its composition cease to attract attention and begin to proceed without awareness, while the main goal continues to be realized. It is enough to carefully analyze the process of shooting with a well-trained shooter or the process of writing on a typewriter with an experienced typist to see this.

All this shows that the direction of attention is determined psychological structure of activity and depends heavily on degree of automation. The general task that directs human activity singles out, as an object of his attention, that system of signals or connections that are part of the evoked human activity that is caused by this task. The specific goal that the person solving the problem sets for himself makes the signals or actions related to it the focus of attention. The process of automation of activity leads to the fact that individual actions that attracted attention become automatic operations, and a person's attention begins to shift to the final goals, ceasing to be attracted by well-established habitual operations. Perhaps the most important is the fact that the direction of attention is directly dependent on the success or failure of the activity.

Successful completion of the activity immediately removes the tension that the person had all the time while he was trying to solve the problem. For example, a person who puts a letter in the mailbox immediately forgets about the fulfilled intention, it stops bothering him. Conversely, an unfinished activity or an unsuccessful task continues to cause tension and attract attention, maintaining it until the task is successfully completed.

Attention enters like control mechanism into the “acceptor of action” apparatus: it provides signals indicating that the task has not yet been completed, the action has not been completed, and it is these “return signals” that prompt the subject to vigorous activity.

In this way, a person's attention is determined by the structure of his activity, reflects its course and serves as a mechanism for its control.

All this makes attention one of the most essential aspects of human activity.