Among mental phenomena, attention occupies a special place: it is not an independent mental process and does not apply to personality traits. At the same time, attention is always included in practical activities and cognitive processes, through it the interests and orientation of the individual are expressed.

Attention - concentration of consciousness on a certain object, providing its selective and especially clear reflection.

To understand the physiological picture of the dynamics of attention, the phenomenon discovered by I.P. Pavlov, which was calledoptimal focus of excitation.Studying the physiological activity of the brain, A. A. Ukhtomsky created the doctrine of the dominant. The dominant, or the dominant focus of excitation, differs from the mobile optimal focus of excitationincreased stability.

In pedagogical practice, teachers and educators, knowing the laws governing the emergence of a focus of optimal excitability, can organize favorable conditions for its formation. The teacher says: "Children, sit straight, put your hands on the desk, look at me." Such instructions for organizing posture are especially important in primary school where schoolchildren are still poorly able to manage their attention.

Great importance in the emergence and organization of attention has the developmentdynamic stereotypesunder the influence of continuous operation.

Outwardly, attention is expressed in a specific posture, a special facial expression, which can be easily observed and by which one can judge how attentive a person is. The posture of attention is characterized by the inhibition of movements that are unnecessary for activity, the orientation of the sense organs and the entire body towards the object.

Accumulating experience in working with children, the teacher must learn by facial expressions and posture to determine the beginning of distraction and direct it, without expecting the student to be completely disconnected from the lesson.

Assessing the role of attention in mental activity, K.D. Ushinsky noted that“Attention is exactly the door through which everything that enters the soul of a person from the outside world passes.”

According to the activity of a person in the organization of attention, three types of attention are distinguished:involuntary, arbitrary and post-voluntary.

involuntary attention - this is the concentration of consciousness on an object due to the peculiarity of the latter as an irritant, that is, this type of attention depends on the qualities of the stimulus.

More strong irritantagainst the background of acting attracts the attention of a person. Presenting educational material, the teacher can increase, slow down the pace of speech, change intonation and thereby cause involuntary attention to an important passage of material. Monotonous, inexpressive speech is not able to attract and maintain attention from the outside. expressive speech attracts attention with its shape.

Causes spontaneous attentionthe novelty of the stimulus. FROMthis feature of attention should be considered when using visual aids in the classroom. If the teacher brings into the classroom and immediately hangs up the visual aids that he will need during the explanation, then he will divert the attention of students from the answers during the survey, from common work class, and by the time the manual is explained, they will lose their novelty and therefore the additional factor of attracting attention will disappear.

Objects that create bright colors in the process of cognitionemotional background(saturated colors, melodic sounds, pleasant smells), cause involuntary concentration of attention. Even more important for the emergence of voluntary attention have intellectual, aesthetic and moral feelings. An object that caused surprise, admiration, delight, attracts attention for a long time. Works of art affect the senses, attract involuntary attention and, together with the emerging cognitive interest, direct mental activity towards a deep awareness of phenomena.

Interest as a direct interest in something that is happening (the fate of the hero of the book, the outcome of a sports competition) and as a selective attitude to the world is usually associated with feelings and is one of the most important reasons prolonged involuntary attention to objects. In order to maintain the interest, and through it the involuntary attention of students, it is useful, when communicating the objectives of the lesson, to emphasize what the students learn new things, and in conclusion to note what they have learned.

Methodological techniques aimed at arousing the interest of schoolchildren in this lesson and through it to draw their attention to other subjects are different. Yes, to secure foreign words games can be organized, visual aids can be used - pictures depicting objects corresponding to vocabulary, poems or songs in a foreign language are listened to.

The general psychological principles for constructing a lesson in which involuntary attention is supported by interest are the following:pithinessmaterial set out in fascinating form, variety forms and methods of work, passion the teacher himself with the material presented, liveliness and emotional richness lesson.

Arbitrary attention - this is a consciously regulated concentration on the object, directed by the requirements of activity. Voluntary attention focuses on what needs to be done. Therefore, the psychological content of voluntary attention is associated with setting the goal of activity and volitional effort.

Arbitrary concentration on an object presupposes an effort of will, which maintains attention. Willpower is experienced as tension, mobilization of forces to achieve the goal. It helps to keep attention on the object, not to be distracted, not to make mistakes in actions.

K.D.Ushinsky attached great importance to the development of voluntary attention of schoolchildren. He opposed the fact that the entire educational process in the primary grades was based only on interest and entertainment.

As studies by domestic psychologists (L.I. Bozhovich, A.N. Leontiev, etc.) show, the development of voluntary attention in the case of leadership of this process in the first years of training can occur quite intensively. Of great importance is the development of students' ability to work purposefully. Initially, adults (parents, teachers) set a goal for students and, if necessary, provide assistance to children in achieving it.

The highest level of voluntary attention is the ability of the student to be guidedself-set goals.The development of voluntary attention in children and goes in the direction from the fulfillment of goals,put by adults to the goals put by the students themselvescontrolling their implementation.

The development of voluntary attention is closely related to the development of schoolchildren's responsibility for the assimilation of knowledge. Students with a responsible attitude to learning are able to force themselves to carefully perform any task, both interesting and uninteresting. Students without a sense of responsibility carefully work only with interesting material. That is why it is very important to instill in students a sense of responsibility.

Education at school involves the formation of voluntary attention by organizing what is feasible in the primary grades. learning activities setting achievable goals for students. The experience of success strengthens the desire to focus on the next task. The younger the students in age, the more often there should be a change in activities in the lesson. A new type of activity is always a factor in attracting involuntary attention, contributing to the concentration of voluntary attention.

When organizing attention, the teacher must take into account a number of conditions that facilitate arbitrary concentration.

Focusing attention on mental activity is facilitated if cognition includespractical action.For example, it is easier to keep attention on the content of a scientific book when reading is accompanied by note taking.

Conditions that facilitate the maintenance of voluntary attention include features workplace. There should be no distracting stimuli in the room.

An important condition for maintaining attention ismental state of a person.It is very difficult for a tired person to concentrate. Emotional arousal weakens voluntary attention.

Supports voluntary attentionverbal reminder to selfabout the goals of the activity, in the performance of which it is necessary to be especially careful.

It facilitates the emergence and maintenance of voluntary attention by the habit of working with concentration in various, both favorable and unfavorable, conditions.

Teaching is work, and it is impossible to build the learning process only on involuntary attention. It is in teaching from class to class that children should develop the ability to organize their attention. Solving examples and tasks that require lengthy calculations, writing in compliance with existing spelling rules, memorizing new terms, poems, memorizing words foreign language- all these, like many others, tasks in educational activities cannot be completed without voluntary attention. “It should,” wrote K.D. attention and exercise is active, which, although weak in the child, can and should develop and grow stronger from exercise.

AT post-voluntaryattention, the volitional tension necessary for concentration in voluntary attention decreases. Post-voluntary attention - focusing on an object because of its value to the individual.

According to its psychological characteristics, post-voluntary attention has features that bring it closer to involuntary attention, but there is also a significant difference between them. Post-voluntary attention arises on the basis of interest, but this is not an interest stimulated by the characteristics of the subject, but a manifestation of the orientation of the individual. With post-voluntary attention, the activity itself is experienced as a need, and its result is personally significant.

If voluntary attention has turned into post-voluntary, then no tension is felt before the onset of general fatigue.

The considered three types of attention in the practical activity of a person are closely intertwined and rely on one another. Organizing the attention of students, the teacher must consider not only how to call attention to this lesson, but also how to form volitional qualities personalities that facilitate attention management.

According to the method of localization of the object of attention, they distinguishoutward-directed, or perceptual, and internal Attention. Outwardly directed attention is included in the perceptual activity of a person and the regulation of objective activity. An exploratory attitude to the world cannot be formed without the development of perceptual attention. Internal attention is connected with the awareness of the personality of its activity, its inner world, with self-consciousness.

External and internal attention inhibit each other: it is difficult to be simultaneously focused on external and internal phenomena. Internal attention contributes to the modeling of the future action and its consequences, is a necessary condition for the development of consciousness and self-awareness. The ability to think and deliberately act is impossible without the development of inner attention.

Depending on the forms of educational activity organized by the teacher, one can distinguishcollective, group and individual attention.

Analysis of activities for the organization of attention in various conditions teaching showed that the teacher constantly has to organize the transition from one form of manifestation of attention in the classroom to another.

collective attention - focusing all students on one subject.

As such a subject, the teacher's story and the students' answers are most often used. In fact, there is no 100% class attention for a long time, but for collective attention, the distractions of individual students are not afraid. Having a purposeful class team helps focus those who are not accustomed to the effort of organizing attention.

group attention - focusing attention in groups in a team environment.

Group attention has to be organized during laboratory work, mutual verification, and discussion of any facts in groups. For students and teachers, this is the most difficult form of organizing attention. Groups distract each other in work, therefore, to organize attention, it is necessary to clearly plan the implementation of tasks in stages, the transition to collective attention at individual stages.

individual attention - Focusing on your task. It occurs when reading independently, solving problems, performing control works. For the teacher, it is difficult to move from individual attention to collective attention, since not all students cope with the task at the same time, and for many, attention does not switch at the beginning of collective work.

Formation of attentionin educational activity - the leading psychological and didactic task.

N.F. Dobrynin found that the attention of schoolchildren is quite concentrated and stable when they are fully occupied with work, when this work requires the maximum from them mental and motor activity.If students consider objects, phenomena and at the same time have the opportunity to act with them, then in this case they are very attentive.Analysis, comparison items, highlighting essential features, isolating the main, basic in readablematerial, classification of objects by groups establishment of causal relationshipsbetween objects and phenomena, as well as other types of mental activity are impossible without a deep focus on the relevant objects, phenomena. Active mental activity requires attention.

Based on the generalization of the experience of teachers N.F. Dobrynin comes to the conclusion that the attention of students largely depends on accessibility educational material. Students enthusiastically work on something that may be difficult, but doable, which can show them the presence of some kind of achievement.

Attention is closely related to emotions and feelings children. Everything that causes them strong feelings, attracts their attention. So, already preschoolers can listen to interesting fairy tales, stories, watch movies for hours. Younger students listen with great attention to the entertaining story of the teacher and are not distracted for quite a long time.

Great influence on attention interests and needs students. What captivates children, as if by itself, attracts attention.

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• Introduction
• Conclusion

Introduction

No other mental process is mentioned so often in everyday life and does not find a place for itself within the framework of psychological concepts with such difficulty as attention. Often attention explains success in study and work, and inattention explains mistakes, blunders and failures. Features of attention are necessarily diagnosed when children are admitted to school, when they are selected for a variety of professional activity, as well as to determine the current state of a person. However, in scientific psychology, the problem of attention stands somewhat apart, and researchers have significant difficulties in interpreting this concept and the phenomena behind it. This situation is connected with two important points. First, many authors emphasize the "dependence" of attention as a mental process. Attention, at first glance, nowhere appears in isolation from other phenomena and does not have its own separate specific product. Secondly, attention is a mental instrument of the subject's activity, which allows him not to be a toy of external influences when interacting with the outside world.

Attention can be defined as a psychophysiological process, a state that characterizes the dynamic features of cognitive activity. They are expressed in its concentration on a relatively narrow section of external or internal reality, which at a given moment in time become conscious and concentrate on themselves the mental and physical forces of a person for a certain period of time.

Attention is a process of conscious or unconscious (semi-conscious) selection of one information coming through the senses and ignoring the other. Attention has no content of its own. It is included in other mental processes: sensations and perceptions, ideas, memory, thinking, imagination, emotions and feelings, manifestations of the will. Attention is also included in practical, in particular, motor actions of people, in their behavioral acts - actions. This ensures clarity and distinctness of the reflection of reality, which is one of the necessary conditions for the success of any activity.

Chapter 1

Characterizing attention as a complex mental phenomenon, a number of attention functions are distinguished. The essence of attention is manifested primarily in the selection of significant, relevant, i.e. corresponding to the needs, relevant to this activity, impacts and ignoring (braking, eliminating) other - insignificant, side, competing impacts. Along with the selection function, the function of retention (preservation) of this activity (preservation in the mind of images, a certain subject content) is singled out until the act of behavior is completed, cognitive activity until the goal is achieved. One of the most important functions of attention is the regulation and control of the course of activity.

Attention can be manifested both in sensory and mnemonic, mental and motor processes. Sensory attention is associated with the perception of stimuli of different modality (type). In this regard, visual and auditory sensory attention is distinguished. The objects of intellectual attention as its highest form are memories and thoughts. The most studied sensory attention. In fact, all the data characterizing attention were obtained in the study of this type of attention.

Properties of attention - volume, concentration, distribution, stability, fluctuation, switchability, selectivity.

1. Attention span measured by the number of objects that are perceived simultaneously. Objects that are united in meaning are perceived in greater numbers than those that are not united. In an adult, the amount of attention is 4-6 objects.

An important and defining feature of the volume of attention is that it is practically not amenable to regulation during training and training. For example, they tried to train pilots to fly the plane very low (at an altitude of 50-100 m above the ground) and at the same time look for small-sized landmarks on the ground. A study of the actions of pilots under these conditions showed the impossibility of dividing attention between the two indicated independent actions, since each of them required maximum attention. The difficulties of the pilot lay in the practical impossibility of switching attention and organizing the collection of information in such a way as to ensure the fulfillment of both tasks. It was not possible to overcome this difficulty by training.

2. Focus is the degree of concentration of consciousness on the object (objects). The smaller the circle of objects of attention, the smaller the area of ​​the perceived form, the more concentrated the attention.

Focus provides in-depth study cognizable objects and phenomena, brings clarity to a person's idea of ​​a particular object, its purpose, design, form.

Concentration, focus of attention can be successfully developed under the influence of specially organized work on the development of these qualities.

3. Distribution of attention expressed in the ability to simultaneously perform several actions or monitor several processes, objects. In some professions, the distribution of attention becomes especially important. Such professions are the professions of a driver, a pilot, a teacher.

It is this quality that makes it possible to perform several actions at once, keeping them in the field of attention. Many have heard about the phenomenal abilities of Julius Caesar, who, according to legend, could do seven unrelated things at the same time. It is also known that Napoleon could simultaneously dictate seven important diplomatic documents to his secretaries. However, there is every reason to assume that only one type of conscious mental activity occurs at the same time, and the subjective feeling of the simultaneous execution of several is due to the rapid sequential switching from one to another. Even the works of Wundt showed that a person cannot focus on two stimuli presented simultaneously, the distribution of attention is actually carried out by its rapid transfer. Sometimes it seems that a person performs two activities at the same time. In fact, in such cases, one of them is so automated that it does not require attention. But if this is not the case, then the combination is impossible. For example, it is useless to ask an untrained person walking on a balance beam to solve the simplest arithmetic problem - he will not be able to do it, while an experienced gymnast easily coped with the distribution of attention necessary for the corresponding mental operations. Thus, the distribution of attention, in essence, is the reverse side of its switchability. From the point of view of physiology, the distribution of attention is explained by the fact that, in the presence of optimal excitability in the cerebral cortex, in some of its areas there is only partial inhibition, as a result of which these areas are able to control simultaneously performed actions. How better man mastered the actions, the easier it is for him to simultaneously perform them.

4. Sustained attention does not mean the concentration of consciousness during the whole time on a specific object or its separate part, side. Sustainability is understood as the general focus of attention in the process of activity. Interest has a significant influence on the stability of attention. A necessary condition for the stability of attention is the variety of impressions or actions performed. Repetitive actions reduce the stability of attention.

Physiologically, this is explained by the fact that under the influence of a prolonged action of the same stimulus, excitation, according to the law of negative induction, causes inhibition in the same area of ​​the cortex, which leads to a decrease in the stability of attention.

Sustainability is the duration of attracting attention to the same object or to the same task. It can be determined by peripheral and central factors. Stability, determined by peripheral factors, does not exceed 2-3 seconds, after which attention begins to fluctuate. But stability is significantly increased if a person actively interacts with an object, considers it and studies it, and not just looks at it. The stability of central attention can be a much longer interval - up to several minutes. It is clear that fluctuations in peripheral attention are not excluded, but it returns all the time to the same object. At the same time, the duration of attracting central attention, according to S.L. Rubinstein, depends on the ability to constantly reveal new content in the object. It can be said that the more interesting an object is for us, the more stable our attention will be.

Affects the stability of attention and vigorous activity with the object of attention. Action further focuses attention on the object. Thus, attention, merging with action and mutually intertwining, creates a strong connection with the object.

The opposite property of sustainability is distractibility. . The physiological explanation for distractibility is either external inhibition caused by extraneous stimuli, or prolonged action of the same stimulus.

Distractibility of attention is expressed in fluctuations in attention, which are periodic weakening of attention to a particular object or activity. Fluctuations in attention are observed even during very concentrated and hard work, which is explained by the continuous change of excitation and inhibition in the cerebral cortex. However, after 15-20 minutes, fluctuations in attention can lead to involuntary distraction from the object, which once again proves the need to diversify human activity in one form or another.

5. Switchability is determined by the speed of transition from one type of activity to another. At the same time, the transfer of attention from one to another is always accompanied by some nervous tension, which is realized by an effort of will. Sometimes a person who is deeply concentrated on an internal task that is especially important for him subconsciously tries to avoid these efforts and does not switch from this task to external stimuli. The important role of this characteristic can be easily demonstrated when analyzing such a well-known and widespread phenomenon as scattering, which is reduced mainly to poor switchability.

Many anecdotes are devoted to the distraction of scientists. However, their absent-mindedness is often reverse side maximum composure and focus on the main subject of interest: they are so immersed in their thoughts that when faced with everyday trifles, they do not switch and may find themselves in a ridiculous position. Here are some facts of this kind. A lot was told about the absent-mindedness of the famous composer and chemist A.P. Borodin, Once, when he had guests, tired, he began to say goodbye to them, saying that it was time for him to go home, since he had a lecture tomorrow, and went to get dressed in the hall. Or such a case. Borodin went with his wife abroad. When checking passports at the border checkpoint, the official asked the name of his wife. Borodin, due to his distraction, could not remember her name. The official looked at him suspiciously. At this time, his wife, Ekaterina Sergeevna, entered the room, and Borodin rushed to her: "Katya! For God's sake, what is your name?"

Such a story is also known. Comes N.E. Zhukovsky to his home, calls, from behind the door they ask: "Who do you want?". He answered: "Tell me, is the owner at home?" - "Not". - "And the hostess?" - "There is no hostess either. And what to convey?" - "Tell me that Zhukovsky came."

And one more fact. Once the famous mathematician Hilbert had a party. After the arrival of one of the guests, Madame Gilbert took her husband aside and told him: "David, go and change your tie." Gilbert is gone. An hour passed and he didn't show up. The alarmed mistress of the house went in search of her husband and, looking into the bedroom, found him in bed. He was fast asleep. When he woke up, he remembered that, having removed his tie, he automatically began to undress further and, putting on his pajamas, went to bed. Here we again encounter a deep interconnectedness of all the characteristics of attention.

What is the cause of the described distraction? Mainly in the fact that, having developed everyday stereotypes, scientists used every opportunity to remove control over their implementation or timely switching to another program from their consciousness and thereby free up the field of attention for solving the main scientific problem.

There are intentional (voluntary) and unintentional (involuntary) switching of attention. Deliberate switching of attention is accompanied by the participation of human volitional efforts.

Unintentional switching of attention usually proceeds easily, without much effort and volitional effort.

6. The limited volume of perceived and processed material makes it necessary to continuously break up the incoming information into parts and determine the sequence (order) of the analysis of the environment. What determines the selectivity of attention, its direction? There are two groups of factors. The first includes factors that characterize the structure of external stimuli that reach a person, i.e. the structure of the external field. These include the physical parameters of the signal, such as intensity, its frequency and other characteristics of the organization of signals in an external field. The second group includes factors that characterize the activity of the person himself, i.e. the structure of the internal field. Indeed, everyone will agree that if a signal appears in the field of perception, which is either more intense than others (for example, the sound of a gunshot or a flash of light), or more novel (for example, a tiger unexpectedly enters the room), then this stimulus will automatically attract attention.

The fact that certain physical parameters of the signal explicitly determine the direction of attention was first included in the theoretical understanding of the structure of this process. Thus, Broadbent described attention as a filter that selects information already at the inputs. In his first model of attention, selection was carried out on the basis of only physical parameters in an all-or-nothing manner. Here man was understood as a passive receiver of information. This position was based on the fact that he discovered that if a person was given information simultaneously in both ears and, according to the instructions, he had to perceive only the information coming into the left ear, then the other information fed into the right ear was completely ignored by him.

Further research turned scientists' attention to the factors of central (internal) origin that affect the selectivity of attention: the correspondence of incoming information to the needs of a person, his emotional state the relevance of this information to him. In addition, actions that are not sufficiently automated, and also not completed, require attention.

Numerous experiments have found that words that have a special meaning for a person, such as his name, the names of his relatives, etc., are more easily extracted from noise, since the central mechanisms of attention are always tuned to them. A striking example of the impact of particularly relevant information is the fact known as the "party phenomenon". Imagine that you are at a party and are absorbed in an interesting conversation. Suddenly, you hear your name spoken softly by someone in another group of guests. You quickly turn your attention to the conversation between these guests, and you can hear something interesting about yourself. But at the same time, you stop hearing what is being said in the group where you are standing, thereby you lose the thread of the conversation in which you participated before. You tuned into the second group and disconnected from the first. It was the high significance of the signal, not its intensity, the desire to know what other guests thought of you, that determined the changes in the direction of your attention.

Thus, attention performs a kind of "feeling", inspection, analysis environment. Since it is impossible to feel the entire environment at once, a part of it stands out - the field of attention. This is the part of the environment that is being covered by attention at the moment. The analytic effect of attention can be seen as a consequence of its reinforcing influence. By intensifying the perception of a part of the field and successively transferring this intensification to other parts, a person can achieve a complete analysis of the environment.

It is important to note that the various properties of attention do not reach their peak at the same time. So, according to B.G. Ananiev, the optimum volume of attention refers to 33 years, the smallest volume is observed in the period from 18 to 21 years. The best selectivity of attention is also achieved by the age of 33. The maximum switching ability of attention falls on 29 years. Sustainability of attention reaches an optimum at 34 years.

Chapter 2

There are several different classifications of types of attention. According to W. James, attention can be, firstly, sensory, i.e. direct (if the object is of interest in itself), or derivative (indirect, if the object is of interest only by association), secondly, involuntary (passive, reflex, not accompanied by a sense of effort) or voluntary (active, accompanied by a sense of effort).

Classification based on arbitrariness is the most traditional. Historians of psychology find the division of attention into voluntary and involuntary already in Aristotle, and a complete and comprehensive description of these varieties was already made in the 18th century. Later, this division received serious theoretical background in the works of T. Ribot and N.N. Lange. The motives for involuntary attention are found in the characteristics of external objects. The sources of voluntary attention are entirely determined by subjective factors. This kind of attention is subordinated to the goals and intentions of the subject.

However, the phenomenology of attention is so extensive that the division only into voluntary and involuntary is clearly not enough. Therefore, within these types of attention, various subspecies are distinguished. For example, within the framework of involuntary attention, forced, involuntary and habitual attention is distinguished. Forced attention is called attention, which is very difficult to control, it is attracted by stimuli of increased intensity ( loud sounds, bright lights, pungent odors, etc.), as well as repetitive, moving, unusual stimuli. Involuntary attention is called attention to objects that are associated with the satisfaction of basic needs, such as hunger or thirst, but these objects attract attention only under certain circumstances. If you are hungry, you will involuntarily pay attention to the cafe sign, but if not, you may not notice it. Habitual attention is associated with the main areas of interest and human activity. So, during a joint walk, representatives of different professions notice different objects.

Within the framework of voluntary attention, one can single out volitional (occurs in the event of a conflict between a consciously chosen direction of activity and tendencies of involuntary attention), expectant (associated with the conscious expectation of the appearance of an object) and spontaneous (it is a transformed volitional attention and occurs when the object , caught in the field of attention due to effort, remains there due to the interest it arouses) (Dormyshev Yu.B., Romanov V.Ya., 1995).

N.F. Dobrynin (1938). He proposes to order all known forms of attention according to the change in the activity of the subject, highlighting three sections in this continuum. On the first he places all forms of involuntary attention. The second is reserved for volitional, or actually arbitrary, attention. The third section is associated with spontaneous attention, or, as Dobrynin called it, post-voluntary attention.

involuntaryAttention

involuntary attention - involuntary, self-arising attention, caused by the action of a strong, contrasting or new, unexpected stimulus or a significant stimulus that causes an emotional response.

In the psychological literature, several synonyms are used to denote involuntary attention. In some studies it is called passive, in others emotional. Both synonyms help to reveal the features of involuntary attention. When they say about passivity, they emphasize the dependence of involuntary attention on the object that attracted it, and emphasize the lack of effort on the part of a person aimed at concentrating. When involuntary attention is called emotional, then the connection between the object of attention and emotions, interests, needs is distinguished. In this case, there are also no volitional efforts aimed at concentration: the object of attention is allocated due to its correspondence to the reasons that prompt a person to activity.

attention cognitive conscious unconscious

So, involuntary attention is the concentration of consciousness on an object due to some of its features.

It is known that any stimulus, changing the strength of its action, attracts attention.

The novelty of the stimulus also causes involuntary attention.

Objects that evoke a vivid emotional tone in the process of cognition ( saturated colors, melodic sounds, pleasant smells), cause involuntary concentration of attention. Even more important for the emergence of involuntary attention are intellectual, aesthetic and moral feelings. The subject that caused at a person's surprise, admiration, delight, for a long time attracts his attention.

Interest, as a direct interest in something happening and as a selective attitude to the world, is usually associated with feelings and is one of the most important reasons for prolonged involuntary attention. to items.

ArbitraryAttention

Synonyms for arbitrary ( attention) are words active or volitional. All three terms emphasize the active position of the individual when focusing attention on the object.

Voluntary attention is a consciously regulated concentration on an object.

A person focuses not on what is interesting or pleasant for him, but on what he should do.

This kind of attention is closely related to the will. Arbitrarily concentrating on an object, a person makes an effort of will , which maintains attention throughout the entire process of activity. Voluntary attention owes its origin to labor.

Arbitrary attention occurs when a person sets himself the goal of an activity, the implementation of which requires concentration.

Arbitrary attention requires volitional effort, which is experienced as tension, the mobilization of forces to solve the problem. Willpower is necessary to focus on the object of activity, not to be distracted, not to make mistakes in actions.

So, the reason for the emergence of arbitrary attention to any object is the setting of the goal of the activity, the practical activity itself, for the implementation of which a person is responsible.

There are a number of conditions that facilitate arbitrary concentration of attention.

Focusing attention on mental activity is facilitated if practical action is included in cognition. . For example, it is easier to keep attention on the content of a scientific book when reading is accompanied by note taking.

An important condition for maintaining attention is the mental state of a person. It is very difficult for a tired person to concentrate. Numerous observations and experiments show that by the end of the working day, the number of errors in the performance of work increases, and the state of fatigue is also subjectively experienced: it is difficult to concentrate.

Emotional arousal caused by reasons extraneous to the work performed (preoccupation with some other thoughts, a painful condition, and other factors of this kind) significantly weakens a person’s voluntary attention.

Arbitrary attention - conscious focus on certain information, requires strong-willed efforts, tires in 20 minutes.

Developmentarbitraryattention.

The mentioned characteristics of attention (stability, concentration, etc.) are to some extent characteristic not only of humans, but also of animals. But the special property of attention - arbitrariness - is truly human. Animals have only involuntary attention.

Initially, attention in a child is realized through hereditary mechanisms. Up to 10 months, he is only capable of involuntary attention, his eyes stop at shiny, bright objects and familiar faces. Attention in a child is manifested outwardly in a temporary delay in breathing and restriction of movements, in lethargy, which serves to prepare for action. After 10 months, voluntary attention develops, which coexists with the involuntary for the rest of the life. When the mother names an object and points it out to the child with a gesture, thereby distinguishing it from the environment, the child's attention is restructured. It ceases to obey only natural orienting reactions, which are controlled either by novelty or by the strength of the stimulus, and begins to obey speech or gesture.

Observation shows that at the very beginning of the formation of any skill, big number useless movements. A child who is learning to write moves his whole arm, eyes, head, part of his body, and tongue. Training consists in strengthening only a certain part of the movements, coordinating them into groups and eliminating unnecessary movements. Arbitrary attention is directed to the inhibition of unnecessary movements.

The development of the stability of voluntary attention in children is studied by determining the maximum time that children of different ages can spend concentrating on one game. Let's get the data. So, if the maximum duration of one game for a six-month-old child is only 14 minutes, then by the age of six it increases to one and a half hours. The concentration of attention develops in the same way. If at three years of age in 10 minutes of playing a child is distracted on average 4 times, then at six years old - only once.

According to P.Ya. Galperin, involuntary attention combines with voluntary attention that it is also control over the object of perception or thinking, but in it the order of examination and the criteria for control are not yet determined arbitrarily, but by what the object "prompts" with its conspicuous features. Attention becomes arbitrary when the choice of content, the order of examination and the method of control are organized by a person, based on the objective requirements of the task. Unlike involuntary attention, voluntary attention is not biological in origin, but social. It is not a product of the maturation of the organism, but is formed in a child only when he communicates with adults. For the first time, L.S. Vygotsky. He found that in the early phases of development, the function of voluntary attention is divided between two people - an adult and a child. The first selects an object from the environment, pointing to it with a gesture or designating it with a word, the second responds to this signal by fixing the named object with a glance or grasping it. Pointing to an object with a gesture or word forcibly organizes the child's attention, changing its direction. Thus, this object stands out for the child from the external field. When a child develops his own speech, he can name the object himself, thus arbitrarily distinguishing it from the rest of the environment. The function of analyzing the environment, which was previously divided between an adult and a child, becomes internal for the child (immersed) and is performed by him independently. The development of voluntary attention in children at first ensures the realization of only those goals that adults set for them, and then those that are set by the children themselves.

Voluntary attention is closely connected with speech. The development of voluntary attention in a child is manifested first in the subordination of his behavior to the verbal instructions of adults, and then in the subordination of his behavior to his own verbal instructions. Only at 2-2.5 years old does a simple verbal instruction from an adult clearly direct the child's behavior.

Post-voluntaryAttention

Post-voluntary attention - caused through entry into the activity and the interest arising in connection with this, as a result, purposefulness is maintained for a long time, tension is relieved and the person does not get tired, although post-voluntary attention can last for hours. Post-voluntary attention is the most effective and long lasting.

Pattern of circulation, fluctuations of attention - every 6-10 seconds the human brain is disconnected from receiving information for a fraction of a second, as a result, some part of the information may be lost.

Research B.M. Teplova and V.D. Nebylitsyna showed that the quality of attention depends on the properties of the human nervous system.

It was found that for people with a weak nervous system, additional stimuli interfere with concentration, and for people with a strong one, they even increase concentration. People with an inert nervous system have difficulty switching and distributing attention.

However, the lack of stimuli and information is an unfavorable factor. Studies have shown that when a person is isolated from stimuli coming from the environment and from his own body (sensory deprivation, when a person is placed in a soundproof chamber, put on lightproof glasses, placed in a warm bath to reduce skin sensitivity), then a normal physically healthy person rather quickly begins to experience difficulties in controlling his thoughts, he loses orientation in space, in the structure of his own body, he begins to hallucinate and have nightmares. When examining people after such isolation, they observed disturbances in the perception of color, shape, size, space, time, and sometimes the constancy of perception was lost.

Conclusion

Attention occupies a significant place in human cognitive activity. It gives us the opportunity to select a certain part from the field of perception for its analysis at a given moment in time and controls the flow of information directed to and from memory. The analytical function of attention is indispensable component any cognitive activity: transferring attention from one object to another, a person gets the opportunity to split up, dismember the continuous external environment. By changing the sequence of objects to which attention is directed - the trajectory of the examination of the external field, a person draws all new information from the same field, which provides one of the ways of in-depth penetration into the environment.

To ensure sustainable attention, long-term concentration and persistent overcoming of distractions, first of all, it is necessary to attend to the formation of a corresponding interest in a person, i.e. it is necessary to restructure the hierarchy of values ​​in such a way that it includes this problem in the structure of significant goals. If this happens, then in the future attention will automatically weed out and eliminate everything that is not related to the problem automatically, and a person will not only not have to make efforts to keep attention on it, but, on the contrary, it will be more and more difficult for him not to notice everything that is connected to this end.

Bibliography

1. Granovskaya R. Elements practical psychology- St. Petersburg, 2003

2. Psychology: Textbook for economic universities. / Under the editorship of V.N. Druzhinin. - St. Petersburg.

3. Stolyarenko L.D. Fundamentals of psychology. Workshop. R. n / D., 2008.

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Seminar

Question 3

Attention- this is the active orientation of human consciousness to certain objects and phenomena of reality or to certain of their properties, qualities, while simultaneously abstracting from everything else. Attention is such an organization of mental activity in which certain images, thoughts or feelings are recognized more clearly than others.

In other words, attention is nothing but a state of psychological concentration, concentration on some object.

Topical, personally significant signals stand out with attention. The choice is made from the set of all signals available to perception at the moment. Unlike perception associated with the processing and synthesis of information coming from inputs of different modalities, attention limits only that part of it that will be actually processed.

It is known that a person cannot simultaneously think about different things and perform various works. This limitation leads to the need to split the information coming from outside into parts that do not exceed the capabilities of the processing system.

The central mechanisms of information processing in a person can deal at a given time with only one object. If signals about the second object appear during the reaction to the previous one, then processing new information is not produced until these mechanisms are released. Therefore, if a certain signal appears a short time after the previous one, then the reaction time of a person to the second signal is greater than the reaction time to it in the absence of the first one. Trying to simultaneously follow one message and respond to another reduces both the accuracy of perception and the accuracy of the answer.

The mentioned limitations of the possibility of simultaneous perception of several independent signals, information about which comes from external and internal environment, are associated with the main characteristic of attention - its fixed volume. An important and defining feature of the volume of attention is that it is practically not amenable to regulation during training and training.

The limited volume of perceived and processed material makes it necessary to continuously break up the incoming information into parts and determine the sequence (order) of the analysis of the environment. What determines the selectivity of attention, its direction? There are two groups of factors. The first includes factors that characterize the structure of external stimuli that reach a person, that is, the structure of the external field. These include the physical parameters of the signal, such as intensity, its frequency and other characteristics of the organization of signals in an external field.

The second group includes factors that characterize the activity of the person himself, that is, the structure of the internal field. Indeed, everyone will agree that if a signal appears in the field of perception, which is either more intense than others (for example, the sound of a gunshot or a flash of light), or more novel (for example, a tiger unexpectedly enters the room), then this stimulus will automatically attract attention.

The studies conducted have turned scientists' attention to the factors of central (internal) origin that affect the selectivity of attention: the correspondence of incoming information to a person's needs, his emotional state, and the relevance of this information to him. In addition, actions that are not sufficiently automated, and also not completed, require attention.

Numerous experiments have found that words that have a special meaning for a person, such as his name, the names of his relatives, etc., are more easily extracted from noise, since the central mechanisms of attention are always tuned to them. A striking example of the impact of particularly relevant information is the fact known as the "party phenomenon".

Imagine that you are at a party and are absorbed in an interesting conversation. Suddenly, you hear your name spoken softly by someone in another group of guests. You quickly turn your attention to the conversation between these guests, and you can hear something interesting about yourself. But at the same time, you stop hearing what is being said in the group where you are standing, thereby you lose the thread of the conversation in which you participated before. You tuned into the second group and disconnected from the first. It was the high significance of the signal, not its intensity, the desire to know what other guests thought of you, that determined the change in the direction of your attention.

plays an important role in the organization of attention peripheral sensory tuning. Listening to a weak sound, a person turns his head in the direction of the sound and at the same time the corresponding muscle stretches the eardrum, increasing its sensitivity. With a very strong sound, the tension of the eardrum changes, leading to a weakening of the transmission of excessive vibrations to the inner ear, just as the constriction of the pupil eliminates an excessive amount of light. Stopping or holding the breath at the moments of highest attention also makes it easier to listen.

Looking closely, a person performs a number of operations: convergence of the eyes, focusing the lens, changing the diameter of the pupil. If it is necessary to see a large part of the scene, then the focal length is shortened; when details are interesting, it is lengthened, the corresponding parts of the scene stand out and become free from the influence of side details. The selected area, being in focus, is thus deprived of the context with which it was originally associated: it is clearly visible, and its environment (context) seems to be blurry. Thus, the same segment can acquire different values ​​depending on the target or the observer's attitude.

Theories deserve special consideration. linking attention to motivation: what attracts attention is what is connected with the interests of a person - this gives the object of perception additional intensity, and with it the clarity and distinctness of perception increases. Thus, a scientist studying this particular problem will immediately pay attention to a seemingly small detail, but related to this problem, which will elude another person who does not show interest in this issue.

The physiological aspect of all theories without exception is connected with the consideration attention as a result of additional nervous excitation, emanating from the higher nerve centers and leading to an increase in the image or concept. Its dynamics is presented as follows: towards the excitation coming from the senses, the central nervous system sends signals that selectively enhance some aspects of external irritation, highlighting them and giving them increased clarity and clarity.

To pay attention- means to perceive some thing with the help of auxiliary mechanisms. Attention always involves several physiological and psychological insertions (of various nature and different levels), through which something concrete is singled out and clarified.

Thus, attention performs a kind of "feeling", examination, analysis of the environment. Since it is impossible to feel the entire environment at once, a part of it stands out - the field of attention. This is the part of the environment that is being covered by attention at the moment. The analytic effect of attention can be seen as a consequence of its reinforcing influence. By intensifying the perception of a part of the field and successively transferring this intensification to other parts, a person can achieve a complete analysis of the environment.

The role of attention in human life

Noting the role of attention in mental activity, let us recall the words of the great Russian teacher K. D. Ushinsky: “... attention is exactly the door through which everything that enters the soul of a person from the outside world passes.”

Attention is characterized by the following properties: volume, distribution, concentration, stability and switchability.

In the properties of attention, personality traits are expressed Depending on the entire warehouse mental life attentiveness of the personality is formed By the nature of attention, people are divided into attentive, inattentive, scattered.

Mindfulness as a personality trait should be distinguished from mental states Mindfulness and distraction as temporary mental states are observed in every person, regardless of whether he has developed the corresponding character traits or not

A state of heightened attentiveness occurs in a person who finds himself in a new, unusual environment for him; it is caused by a tense expectation of significant events in life, the fulfillment of responsible assignments

The state of mindfulness is characterized by an exacerbation of sensitivity, clarity of thought, emotional beating, an increase in the speed of mental reactions caused by volitional mobilization of forces, composure and readiness for action.

The state of mindfulness may occur with increased interest in the subject at the moment. In this case, mindfulness is based on involuntary attention.

The state of mindfulness, like all mental states, is a transient phenomenon. The situation changes, and the person returns to his usual style of attention. That is why there are bitter disappointments in people when, having taken the state of mindfulness as a personality trait, later you begin to understand the true style of attention of this person.

Absent-mindedness as a state of attention is also experienced by every person. Fatigue after a hard day at work, preoccupation with one’s thoughts when doing an uninteresting task, joyful, high spirits in the absence of a responsible task, satiety with conversations - all these, as well as some others, can cause a state of absent-mindedness. state, a person may show inattention that is not characteristic of him as a person

Attention as a personality trait, that is, mindfulness, is determined primarily by the correlation in the activities of the types of attention. The predominance of voluntary and post-voluntary attention is characteristic of volitional, purposeful person who clearly understands what and why he needs. In this case, the shortcomings in the individual qualities of attention (slow switching, poor distribution) are compensated. The predominance of involuntary attention testifies to the inner emptiness of a person: his attention is at the mercy of external circumstances, volitional regulation of attention is minimal. Such attention can be characterized as absent-mindedness, the hallmark of which is "uncommon lightness in thoughts", fluttering from object to object.

The reason for the confusion may also be deep concentration attention on one subject In this case, a person, not distributing attention enough, ceases to notice what is happening around. According to the external picture of behavior, it seems that this person is generally absent-minded. A strong degree of concentration of attention on one subject is characteristic of thinkers. Such distraction of attention is a consequence of concentration of attention on one object.

Both attentiveness and absent-mindedness, associated with the inability to arbitrarily regulate one's attention, are expressed in mental activity, the first - in evidence, consistency, consistency of reasoning; the second - in the emotional distractibility of thought, in the inability to consistently and to the end to bring the reasoning. It is clear that attention is not the cause, but one of the conditions that determine the logical course of thought and its results.

The predominance of voluntary attention in a person suggests that attentiveness is inherent in him as a personality trait. For a deeper understanding of mindfulness, it is necessary to analyze, firstly, its connection with the activity and orientation of the personality, which determine the content-motivational side of attention, and, secondly, the correlation in the structure of mindfulness of the properties of attention.

In labor and educational activities, a stable circle of objects is distinguished, to which the voluntary attention of a person is more often directed. These objects, distinguished by the content of activity, as well as goals expressed in speech form, gradually begin to occupy more and more more space in consciousness. There is a habit to pay attention to this circle of objects and to a certain activity.

Knowledge allows you to notice such details in objects or thoughts that a non-specialist passes by. Thus, the professionalization of the teacher's attention is reflected in the fact that he begins to notice the shortcomings in the behavior of others not only at school, but also outside it, he cannot calmly pass by violations of the norms of behavior. Engaging in technical design makes the worker, the engineer, look closely at any new machine. The scientist's thought becomes the subject of his relentless thinking and, consequently, his attention.

1.1 The concept of attention, its criteria. The value of attention in human life and activity

According to the generally accepted domestic psychology By definition, attention is the focus and concentration of a person's consciousness on a particular object or phenomenon. Orientation refers to the choice of activities and the maintenance of this choice. Concentration means deepening this activity and withdrawal, distraction from any other activity. Direction and focus are closely related to each other. It is impossible to talk about direction, if there is not at least some concentration. In the same way, one cannot speak of focusing on something, if at the same time we are not "directed" to the same thing.

Attention is present in all mental processes, it arises not only during the perception of objects and phenomena of the external world, but also during reflection, when we imagine something, in remembering something. Often, when concentrating on a thought, a person may not notice anything from the environment.

Attention makes our mental processes complete. It is attention that allows us to consciously perceive the world. The presence of attention in human activity makes it productive, organized, active. Emphasizing the role of attention in the mental life of a person, K.D. Ushinsky, figuratively speaking, wrote: "attention is exactly the door through which everything that only enters the soul of a person from the outside world passes" ..

Attention provides a bright and clear perception of the material. It is also necessary for understanding this material. It is known that you can read a difficult text several times in a row and not understand it if this is done without proper attention. Attention ensures a strong memorization of the material and its preservation in memory for a long time. . Thanks to attention, a strong formation of skills in initial stage their productions.

In addition to the positive impact of attention on the course of human mental activity, it can also have negative effects. They are understood as situations when attention acts against the intentions of a person, disrupts his activity.

The most important negative effect of attention is the so-called deautomatization. It destroys automated activity when a person focuses his attention on its components. The great Russian physiologist N.A. Bernstein in his work "Essays on the physiology of movements." illustrates deautomatization with the parable of the centipede. The malevolent toad asked her which foot she began to walk on. As soon as the centipede thought about it, she could not take a step.

It is important to remember that attention has its own area of ​​application, so its interference in other areas of mental activity, where habitual actions are present, can lead to a serious failure.

Another negative effect of attention was described by the great psychologist W. James. It is called the effect of semantic saturation. The essence of the phenomenon is this: when we repeatedly read the same word or repeat it to ourselves, it eventually loses its meaning for us.

It is also important to know that the qualities of attention that improve our performance have the opposite effect. A strong concentration on something prevents you from shifting your attention to another object. A person who writes poetry can get so lost in his thoughts that he forgets where he has to go. Therefore, the failure of parallel activities is another negative side of attention.

S.L. Rubinstein, who first put forward the thesis on the unity of consciousness and activity, believed that "attention is, first of all, a dynamic characteristic of the course of cognitive activity: it expresses the predominant connection of mental activity with a certain object, on which it is focused as if in focus." .

Attention is closely related to activity. As far as a person separates from practical activity and acquires relative independence theoretical activity, attention takes on new forms: it is expressed in inhibition of extraneous external activity and concentration on the contemplation of an object, depth and composure on the subject of reflection. If the expression of attention directed at a moving external object is a gaze directed outward, vigilantly following the object, then with attention associated with internal activity, the external expression of attention is the motionless gaze of a person, directed at one point, not noticing anything extraneous. But even behind this external immobility, when paying attention, there is hidden not peace, but activity, only not external, but internal.

Behind attention are always the interests and needs, attitudes and orientation of the individual. They cause a change in attitude towards the object, its image becomes clearer and more distinct.

Since attention expresses the relationship between the consciousness or mental activity of an individual and an object, there is also a certain two-sidedness in it: on the one hand, attention is directed to the object, on the other, the object attracts attention. "The reasons for attention to this, and not to another object, are not only in the subject, they are also in the object ...; but they are not in the object in itself, just as they are all the more not in the subject in itself, - they are in the object taken in its relation to the subject, and in the subject taken in its relation to the object. .

Each mental phenomenon has its own signs, criteria by which it can be determined whether it is present in a person at a given moment or not. The most complete typology of attention criteria is given by Yu.B. Gippenreiter, who suggested drawing conclusions about the participation of attention based on its manifestations in consciousness, behavior and productive activity.

1. The first, in essence, should be called the phenomenal criterion - the clarity and distinctness of the contents of consciousness that are in the field of attention. To this criterion refers to the constant change of contents in the "focus" of consciousness: some phenomena come into the field of attention, while others leave. These criteria are also called "subjective", ie. presented only to the subject of knowledge. This is where the fundamental shortcoming of the criterion is manifested: each in his own way. understands the degree of clarity. As a result, the efforts of psychologists were directed to the search for more objective criteria. However, the phenomenal criterion still remains one of the most important in describing the phenomena of attention.

The objective criteria are:

2. Behavioral signs. They are also called external reactions - motor, postural-tonic, vegetative, providing conditions for better signal perception. In the broad sense of the word, this group of signs includes all external manifestations of attention. These include: turning the head, fixing the eyes, facial expressions and posture of concentration, holding the breath, vegetative components of the orienting reaction, etc.

3. Productive criteria of attention characterize not so much the "process" itself or the state of attention as its result. Depending on the nature of the activity, there are three criteria for attention:

a) Cognitive criterion: a person better perceives and understands what he paid attention to. Those. the quality of the product of "attentive" action (perceptual, mental, motor) is increased in comparison with the "inattentive" one. In the case of mental or perceptual activity, this product is of a cognitive nature. In the case of executive activity, we are talking about the quality of the external material result.

b) Mnemic criterion, which is expressed in the memorization of the material that was in the field of attention. It is obvious that we remember better what our attention was drawn to. Conversely, what has not attracted attention is unlikely to be remembered. This criterion is not a direct one, but a by-product of any attentive action (unless it is a special mnemonic action).

4. The criterion of selectivity - is expressed in the delimitation of the field of clear consciousness from the periphery of consciousness; in the ability to actively perceive only part of the incoming information and do only one thing; in remembering only part of the perceived impressions

When establishing the participation of attention in a particular action, these groups of criteria should be applied not one at a time, but in combination: the more criteria are taken into account, the more accurate the conclusion will be.

Thus, we can conclude. Attention makes human mental activity effective. The importance of attention for the learning process is very great. However, under certain conditions, attention may conflict with the actions and intentions of the subject. Objective and subjective criteria help to understand whether a person has attention or not.

A condition for the organization of educational activities at school and therefore already in kindergarten it is necessary to carry out a huge purposeful and systematic work on the development of voluntary attention. 1.3 Features of the development of attention of younger schoolchildren The younger school age (from 6-7 to 9-10 years old) is determined by admission to school. Currently, schooling begins at the age of 6-7. School...

Working with younger children school age- creation of optimal conditions for the disclosure and realization of the capabilities of children, taking into account the individuality of each child (Voronova A.D.). §3. Psychological and Pedagogical Causes of Underachievement in Primary School Students Why are underachieving children the eternal problem of the school? Teachers-scientists are the main reason for poor progress, primarily in the imperfection of methods ...

Pupils of primary school age with intellectual disabilities had no difficulty in switching their attention from one depicted object to another. 2.3 The results of corrective work to develop the attention of younger students with intellectual disabilities in the classroom visual activity Having carried out correctional and developmental work with younger students with intellectual disabilities, we ...

2. Practical study problem situations and their influence on the development of attention of younger schoolchildren 2.1 Methods for studying the influence of problem situations on the development of attention of younger schoolchildren in the process of studying natural history To achieve the goal of the work and test the hypothesis, it was necessary to solve the following tasks: 1. Conduct a theoretical analysis of the literature on the research problem; 2. ...

Attention is called a "cross-cutting" mental process. It does not exist as a separate phenomenon, but "accompanies" memory, perception, thinking. Without it, these mental processes do not work. We feel, remember and perceive only what we pay attention to. Let's pay attention to the important and necessary. It turns out that this mental process is connected with our interests, attitudes, needs, goals, i.e. takes part in the development of a person's personality. The significance of attention in our life is expressed by its direction, because our actions depend on what it is directed to, life choices and results of activities.

What functions of attention are important in our daily life? What factors cause them? How and why should you develop mindfulness? We'll talk about this today.

How does our attention work?

The world around us is filled with information. The human psyche is arranged in such a way that it is important for it to select only the information that is relevant at the moment and structure it, otherwise we are in danger of complete disorientation. Attention acts as a "filter" for the correct functioning of memory and thinking. We also need to keep our attention on current activities, communicate constructively with people around us, and be successful in doing work.

The functions of attention help our conscious and subconscious mind to cope with these tasks. What functions are we talking about?

Selectivity

In other words, the selection of the information necessary at the moment and keeping attention on it.

It's no secret that a person has different sense organs. We see, hear, taste, feel our body. Each of us has a master representational system that is the easiest way to get information. It is easier for audials to perceive a speech message, for visuals - what they can read, for kinesthetics - what they feel. This is one side of the selectivity of attention. We prefer to receive a significant amount of important information in a way that is convenient for us.

The other side of selectivity is the ability to “screen out” interference, the ability to focus on the most relevant at the moment. This is an arbitrary process. Often you need to force yourself to keep your attention on uninteresting, unfamiliar or difficult work for a long time.

Selectivity is related to concentration. There is the concept of "depth of concentration".

Do you know the state when, while doing some activity, you “did not hear or see” anything around? For example, that they call you or say something to you. This means that you have dived deep into the task at hand.

With "superficial" concentration, on the contrary, we are constantly distracted by other objects.

Factors affecting selectivity:

1. Interest, need.

   Always involuntarily attracts attention to what we are interested in. The need to perform certain tasks makes you highlight the main thing and focus on it.

2. Goal setting.

   For the sake of getting a high grade, a schoolboy carefully completes a boring lesson, looking for Additional information on the subject being studied.

3. Structurality.

   It is difficult to work with “chaotic” information; it is much easier to perceive structured information.

Development of selectivity

The selectivity of attention can and should be improved by developing the work of representative systems. In difficult life situation there are always many exits, but often they are not visible "due to" selectivity.

You can expand your “picture of the world”, discover dormant talents in yourself and increase your energy potential by performing a simple exercise “I hear-see-feel”. Track only what you see for 5 minutes, what you hear for 5 minutes, and what you feel for 5 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, be in a state where you see-hear-feel at the same time. Exercise perfectly relieves anxiety and helps your subconscious mind see the most The best way solving life problems.

Orientation

There are the following types of orientation:

• "to myself";
• to the outside world;
• for one or more objects.

Attention is directed "inward" when a person meditates, solves a life problem, conducts an internal dialogue, concentrates on sensations in the body.

Orientation to the outside world is associated with the abilities, aspirations and attitudes of a person. The seller directs his attention to communication with customers, people of technical professions - to various mechanisms. The focus of attention affects the choice of profession and success in it.

This function of attention is also associated with emotions and feelings. An interesting case will “feed” attention. Attitudes, too, no matter what emotions are associated with them. For reference: installations is the significance attached to the signals of the external world, i.e. information that "hurts you to the core."

The focus on one object is associated with stability and high concentration of attention, on several objects - with switchability and distribution. Teachers, drivers, pilots are forced to do several things at the same time, i.e. allocate attention to several objects. Scientists focus on solving a single urgent problem. Distribution is possible only if one of the activities is performed automatically.

Factors affecting the direction:

1. strength (intensity) of the stimulus;
2. novelty, brightness;
3. human condition;
4. emotions, attitudes, abilities (refer to subjective factors).

Personal factors (character, upbringing) play a significant role.

Control and regulation

In relation to their own behavior

The role of attention as a controlling function is involved along with the processes:

1. Memory.

   We can focus on current tasks, past events, or our plans for the future. We work, respectively, with operational, short-term and long-term memory, extracting the necessary facts and events from it.

2. Thinking.

   Within the limits of one intellectual activity, it becomes necessary to distribute attention and hold it until the end of the work. For example, a student, doing course work, must do calculations, draw diagrams, write a theoretical part. makes the activity easier.

3. Management of daily activities (do not forget anything, be attentive / alert).

   The factor of willpower is prevalent.

In relation to other people

It is expressed in the communicative abilities of a person.

When we communicate, we focus on formulating our thoughts, following intonations, assimilating the information communicated by the interlocutor and responding adequately to it.

At the same time, we monitor non-verbal cues and respond to them.

Factors for effective communication:

• concentration of attention on the interlocutor;
• the ability to "disconnect" from one's own internal dialogue;
• respond not only to words, but also to emotions.

By learning to be an attentive conversationalist, you can raise your standard of living and change its quality.

Conclusion

In modern psychology, there are many. Its properties and “failures” are being studied, recommendations “how to become attentive” are being developed, various experiments are being carried out.

It will improve the functioning of memory, perception, thinking and make your life interesting, full and diverse.

Article author: Lapinskaya Lyudmila