ATTENTION Meaning, Definition , Nature & Determinants

 ATTENTION MEANING

Attention means 'act of one's thought' towards a particular acts or object.

 In other words attention is the concentration of focusing of consciousness upon one object.

 it's an attitude or readiness of the individual to do something.

Attention: Definition 

Attention is a process of getting an object or thought clearly before the mind -JS Ross 

Attention is not a faculty of the mind. it rather describes an attitude or activity  of the mind. -Valentine 

Attention can be defined as, a process which compels they individual to select some particular stimulus according to his interest and attitude out of the multiplicity of stimuli present in environment - R.A. Sharma

Nature of Attention

1. It is selective

2.  It is the direction of mental activity to one object. It involves the entire mental activity- knowing, feeling and willing.

3.  It is shifting. it moves from one object to anotherm

4. It is always  attracted by new things

 5. Attention makes clear in our consciousness  the object which we attend to.

6. It always arouses the individual to attend to a particular  object to the exclusion of others.

7.  Attention creates an attentive attitude of the individual, a special adjustment of sense organs to a particular object.

DETERMINANTS OF ATTENTION 

Attention depends upon objective conditions and subjective conditions Objective conditions are those factors of advantage which are found in the object selected for attention (example form, colour, Novelty etc)

Subjective condition are those conditions that are within the mind of the individual who has selected an object for attention (example : interest, habit ,emotional tone)

Objective factors

The following are some objective factors/  conditions of the Attention

1.Stimulus 

With other conditions being equal, strong stimulus  attracts attention more than a weak one. For example, a teacher with a loud voice will attract attention of more pupils than a  teacher with a lower voice. loud sounds, bright colours, easily attract our conscious minds, while less intense one do not.

2.Size

In the case of visible objects, a big size has an advantage over your small one. Our conscious mind easily invites it. The tallest boy/girl in the class easily  catches the attention of all

3.Changes

Object which have their unusual look do not attract ones attention. On a sudden change in the stimulus, it's likely to attract attention. if all the student wear uniform it will be unnoticed. But if one wears an entirely different dress, it will be noticed

4.Novelty

Newness attracts attention.  It is a factor of advantage in attention. The child is attracted by a new dress. New objects easily catch our attention naturally.

5.Contrast

Objects in a contrast form easily catch our attention.   A snake in the hand of a  child are sure to catch our attention

6.Repetition

Repeated stimulus will draw our attention. The teacher repeats the lessons with an aim to draw the student's attention.

7.Movement:

Movement is a clear factor of attention.A moving object will easily attract one's attention. A teacher should also show pictures depending motion.

SUBJECTIVE FACTORS

1.Instinct

Attention is led by instincts. If a child is thirsty he tends to get water. The same procedure is followed to acquire knowledge when one tends to be curious. Hence our instincts propel our attention to specific attention.

2.Intention

Desire or intention plays an important factor in determining our attention. The desire to learn will induce the children to learn more

3.Emotions

Emotion has it own effect on our attention. one can be more attentive in class hours when he is in a happy mood and cannot reciprocate when he is unhappy

4.Habit

Habit and training determine our attention. A child with good habit is generally attentive. Previous training  facilitates attention

5.Heredity

Certains traits of an individual are inherited from the parents, example,  taste for music and dance. The children are naturally interested in them from their birth.

Sensation and Perception 

1. Sensation

Sensation is the process of receiving physical stimuli from the environment through sensory organs and converting them into neural signals.

• It is the first stage of knowing the world.
• Involves sensory receptors (eyes, ears, skin, nose, tongue).
• Raw, unorganized data.
• Happens at the physiological level.

Examples:

• Light waves hitting the retina
• Sound vibrations reaching the ear
• Heat felt on the skin

Types of Sensation:

• Visual (sight)
• Auditory (hearing)
• Olfactory (smell)
• Gustatory (taste)
• Tactile (touch)
• Kinesthetic & Vestibular (movement & balance)

2. Perception

Perception is the process of interpreting and organizing sensory information to give it meaning.

• It is the second stage.
• Involves the brain and past experiences.
• Meaningful and organized.
• Happens at the psychological level.

Examples:

• Recognizing a face
• Identifying a sound as music
• Understanding an object as “hot”

3. Difference between Sensation and Perception

Sensation	Perception
Detects stimuli	Interprets stimuli
Physical process	Mental process
Happens in sense organs	Happens in brain
Same for all (mostly)	Differs from person to person
Example: seeing light	Example: recognizing an object

4. Relationship between Sensation and Perception

• Sensation provides data
• Perception gives meaning
• Both work together, not separately

Without sensation, perception cannot occur; without perception, sensation has no meaning.

5. Factors Influencing Perception

• Past experience
• Motivation
• Attention
• Expectations
• Culture
• Emotional state

6. Simple Example

• Sensation: Eyes receive light waves
• Perception: Brain understands it as a “tree”