What is voluntary attention? How to increase the effectiveness of your actions
All human processes of cognition are aimed at various objects that are reflected in them. The points of cognition include perception and logical thinking. People are constantly thinking about something, imagining something, dreaming about something that has attracted their voluntary attention. The essence of a person is this: he is a constantly thinking person; without thought he does not function and does not develop in every sense. Natural perception contains an unbiased attitude of a person to the surrounding world in which he lives and inhabits, and to the objects that surround him, artificially created and natural. Attitude is formed by such a concept as attention. Sensations, thinking, memory, perception - all these feelings have their own specific content, including the unity of the created image and constant activity.
- Perception is a combined process of continuity between the image of an object and the phenomenon of reality.
- Thinking combines real objective reality and human thought.
Voluntary attention does not have its own content. It is within all emotional feelings. We are collected when something attracts our attention, it can be a consequence of listening or looking, this is a selective focus towards the object. Behind attention are the interests and needs of a person; if he is interested in something, this something will interest him.
Connection
In attention, the connection between consciousness and an object finds its sharpened expression. The changing intensity of mental activity is determined by the clarity of the object in representation; these are the features of attention. If it is fixed, the object is interconnected with the growing work of consciousness, which determines the degree of initial interest. Attention reveals the relationship between a person’s mental activity and the object to which he turned his gaze or hearing. The reasons that awaken interest in a person’s consciousness lie not only in the subject, but also in the attitude towards it and vice versa.
In psychology, voluntary attention is a consequence of work activity; they are closely related to each other. The motive of behavior determines such responses as alertness, readiness to act, vigilance, mobilization. But initially, the signal for the onset of attention is a few seconds of inhibition, which helps to process the information.
Forms of attention
Attention is divided into several types, they are expressed in both practical and theoretical functionality. Concentration on a moving object is the first type of interest; it is characterized by a gaze directed outward, vigilantly following and moving after the movement, this is clearly voluntary attention. The second type is close attention caused by internal viscous mental activity. The person’s gaze is almost motionless and fixed on one point. In any case, the features of concentration are a set of thoughts and actions directed in one direction, working in a team mode.
Stanislavsky wrote the correct definition on this subject: “Attention to an object evokes a natural need to do something with it. Action focuses attention even more on the object. Thus, attention, merging with action and intertwining, creates a strong connection with the object.”
Theories and reality
Gestalt psychologists (structural scientists) and representatives of behavioral psychology at the beginning of the twentieth century. have made very radical attempts to banish the concept of attention from psychological terms. They tied it as a term to reflex settings and the structure of the sensory field. However, their mechanistic attempts were not crowned with success, but on the contrary, served as an impetus for a more detailed consideration of the theory, which pushed attention to the level of a separate scientific study.
Primitive, initial forms of attention can be attributed to reflex settings, since it is the reflexes that are responsible for external stimuli through perception. Thus, bright objects attract arbitrary attention. Vision reacts first, sending a corresponding reflex to the brain. Or the ear begins to listen towards the sounds that attract it. Only reflex attitudes are only the most primary signs.
The structure of the sensory field explains only part of the aspect; attention cannot in any way be divided into sensory content such as attraction and a structural one-sided whole. The characteristics of voluntary attention consist in distraction, in analytical reflection on all aspects of the represented familiar object.
The types of attention, which are everywhere explained as functions of the mental process, essentially express only the degree of a person’s relationship to the environment. If a person has higher forms of attention, this means isolation from nature, opposition to it. He gets the opportunity to mentally switch the real situation into a readable context, transform, imagine, and highlight various points.
Meanwhile, attention is the relationship between action and thought, the direction of mental processes. Consciousness directs voluntary attention to an object familiar to it randomly, sliding and without interfering with the current train of thoughts. There is no longer any interest or attraction here. The development of voluntary attention takes place at a subconscious level. The first step is the same reflex settings. In infancy, a child explores the world through involuntary attention; he is attracted to bright colors and sounds. Over time, involuntary attention is formed into voluntary attention, thereby subordinating spontaneous neurons in the human brain to existing patterns. Voluntary and involuntary attention depends on the conscious intentions and thoughts of a person in the center of his area. He is forced to study the world in which he lives throughout his life cycle, because he moves and migrates around the planet.
Properties
The peculiarities of voluntary attention are contained in a strange union of one’s own passivity and elements of the object’s activity. In other words, if a person’s voluntary attention is directed to an object he has been studying for a long time, he does not notice anything around, and the slightest change in his focus will be recorded by him. Types of voluntary attention are divided into primary, secondary and third. To return from the involuntary back to the voluntary and retain it is secondary. For example, to be distracted from the usual contemplation by an attracted foreign detail and return to the review again, trying to find the previous point of visual contact, means secondary voluntary. Suppressing the resulting absent-mindedness without effort is the third illustration.
Part of pedagogy
The formation of voluntary attention directly determines the initial concentration on an object that promises us some kind of message. After all, by focusing attention on something, we evaluate and examine it, stimulating brain activity and mentally collecting a card index of objects and phenomena. The timely development of voluntary attention in children is due precisely to the systematization of data and the clear assimilation of material, regardless of distracting events. In order to accustom a student to master the technique of voluntary attention, one should first of all instill in him discipline and concentration.
The characteristics of the voluntary attention of younger schoolchildren depend on the quality of the pedagogical material, its size and the amount of available information that does not overload the students. Correct distribution is achieved using special techniques with exercises aimed at training constant or indirect learning.
It is difficult for schoolchildren in elementary grades to maintain attention on educational materials in an unusual amount for them, therefore psychologists and teachers are developing manuals that help the development of involuntary attention in children. Mastery of several exercises makes it easier for them to bear the semantic load, especially if the content techniques are of good quality and adapted to their age.
Physiology of attention
When attention is “turned on,” the work of the psyche is significantly enhanced. Neurons send each other signals that characterize the type of emotion, starting with alertness and ending with voluntary attention and close attention. The messages of neurons, in turn, are reflected throughout the body; the panicky confusion of signals is actually a well-coordinated mechanism, but puts all other centers of the nervous system on alert.
Attention can be in several stages:
- concentration;
- distributability;
- sustainability.
Concentration means a person's concentration on something; it depends on the degree of perception and interest in the subject. Here, both voluntary and involuntary attention can play the main role; they can replace each other, depending on the amount of information.
The ability to distribute allows you to cover several objects at the same time, and this acquired ability directly depends on the ability to hold and concentrate voluntary attention. Stability is interrelated with the time variable, the duration of the study.
It is certainly worth mentioning such a concept as fluctuations in attention. Sensory clarity becomes blurred when organs associated with concentration become fatigued.
After all, voluntary attention has roots in the involuntary, therefore the basis of the concept of developing methodological aids for developing the stability of the direction of the mental process is the discovery of new facets, a secondary feature, in the familiar. In those places where the consciousness rests on meager content with limited possibilities for study, fluctuations are inevitable, distracting and preventing concentration. If the topic can open up from an unknown side, there are prerequisites for research, voluntary attention can remain stable for a long time. Only the ability to develop dynamics guarantees a thought process that influences the progress of voluntary attention.
Absent-mindedness
Do not confuse the scatteredness and diversity of the object of interest. Absent-mindedness means a visual and semantic movement of attention that does not capture any details. At the same time, the probability of the existence of a center for the interrelation of several objects goes in parallel with the work of mental regulators. If all these objects have a common basis for consideration, attention will be stable and voluntary, will carry a semantic background and will not be scattered. Voluntary attention is a separate aspect in psychology.
Mental work is purposefully combined with a form of attention. Only the highest forms of understanding can help to qualitatively process the informative material. The stability of attention does not exclude the possibility of switching to new objects without losing the previous semantic load; internal connections are involved in these processes, making attention flexible.
The ability to switch is different for all people; first of all, it depends on the abilities of the individual, on his temperament. Switching can be developed through exercise, but it can also be difficult if you have to switch from a situation with involuntary attention to an operation involving voluntary attention.
Consciousness
Voluntary and involuntary attention is a very important element of consciousness. And human consciousness is multifaceted. Thoughts, emotions, willpower - all these mental processes are intertwined with types of attention. Its types:
- wide;
- narrow;
- distributed;
- switchable;
- concentrated;
- sustainable;
- unstable;
- fluctuating.
Scientists have noted that voluntary attention and the highest forms of its manifestation are contained in physical labor. Routine work qualitatively develops all types of voluntary attention, and this is done on a subconscious level, turning into professional skills. For example, a worker stands and controls the functionality of several machines, without being distracted from the same thing, checking the constant shape and quality of production parts.
Children's attention
Children are most susceptible to manifestations of involuntary, frequently changing attention. A short study of one subject loses all appeal with the advent of another. Maintaining voluntary attention is valuable from an early age. At school age, a small percentage of the ability to concentrate and maintain it can play a negative role. A child who is not careful with an object will not be able to examine it thoroughly. His thought process constantly "jumps" to other topics. Psychologists have long noticed this problem with voluntary attention in children. Manipulation helps well in exercises aimed at sharpening reflexes. Children repeat all movements and speech after adults; this factor is effectively used in methods that develop relevant skills.
Thoughtful organization of exercises will allow the child to master the initial unconscious types of attention, and subsequently it will be much easier for him to master school material. A lesson in an average school lasts 45 minutes, because this is the maximum time for the permissible load on a child according to his age. The voluntary attention of schoolchildren is calculated from time to volume of materials. Gradually, the kindergartener gets used to practical lessons in modeling or drawing, and the student gets used to systematic concentration throughout the week. It is important for teachers that the material they present is constantly interesting to the audience, despite the specifics of the content.
Thus, for the development of voluntary attention, direction and training of volitional skills are important. Students are able to learn only if they are able to use their analytical abilities in combination with the discipline and systematization of the school education system.
Afterword
Absent-mindedness can also be a different degree of attention. With real absent-mindedness, a person does not even know how to manage his own daily routine, because his voluntary attention is not at all developed. And secondly, it can be a consequence of concentrated attention, when a person is focused on solving a problem for a long time, all other elements of life are blurred against the background of a central study in which all nerve endings take part. The psyche is structured in the most incomprehensible and strange way, and in order to control your own body, you need to find the keys to the mysteries of the human brain. Emotional factors are very indirect; they are born from motives and desires.
Labor activity, which is carried out by a person with the help and because of voluntary attention, goes in parallel with the game of relationships between people and nature, their own and their environment. The actions inherent in children actually accompany a person throughout his entire conscious path. Therefore, a person views obstacles that arise on the path of life primarily as a puzzle, and only interest helps him evaluate and compare the dimensions of the puzzle and draw alternative conclusions for the solution. The voluntary attention of younger schoolchildren grows along with them. Meanwhile, only volitional effort entails the development of voluntary attention and vice versa.
The study of the technique of voluntary attention has been around for a long time and continues to be of great practical and theoretical interest. It is one of the ways of in-depth knowledge of the nature of thinking and its inherent patterns. A detailed study of attention requires a special analysis of all its processes and aspects; the practical interest of teachers and educators in this issue of psychology is quite understandable. To do this, they avoid monotony and routine in their studies, because in order to develop voluntary attention, they need to make the topic sound in a new way, open up from a different side and hint that this is just one of the hidden potential possibilities.
So, we have examined the types of attention and highlighted the importance and relevance of the technique, in which voluntary attention is undoubtedly a fundamental part, along with interest in an object or subject. It is important for teachers to understand the structure of mental development and understand it for a more specific and capacious presentation of the material. Consequently, any work related to teaching children is directly related to the science of psychology.
No mental work takes place without the participation of attention. Its concentrated assistance has helped and is helping a person to survive, and the diversity of the environment gives knowledge and contributes to the birth of such smart people with genius potential, as creative individuals with higher forms of attention. They are able to see and analyze from a new perspective what others did not appreciate, having briefly glanced at. Features of attention help them. The most striking example of a scientific discovery is the legend of Archimedes, who turned his voluntary attention to an ordinary phenomenon.
Let's consider two classifications.
1. Attention may be external(directed towards the environment) and internal(focus on one’s own experiences, thoughts, feelings).
This division is to some extent arbitrary, since people are often immersed in their own thoughts, pondering their behavior.
2. The classification is based on the level of volitional regulation. Attention is given involuntary, arbitrary, post-voluntary.
Involuntary attention occurs without any effort on the part of the person, and there is no goal or special intention.
Involuntary attention may occur:
1) due to certain characteristics of the stimulus.
These features include:
a) strength, and not absolute, but relative (in complete darkness, attention can be attracted by the light from a match);
b) surprise;
c) novelty and unusualness;
d) contrast (among Europeans, a person of the Negroid race is more likely to attract attention);
e) mobility (this is the basis for the action of a beacon, which not only lights up, but blinks);
2) from the internal motives of the individual.
This includes a person’s mood, interests and needs.
For example, the ancient facade of a building is more likely to attract the attention of a person interested in architecture than of other passersby.
free attention arises when a goal is consciously set, to achieve which volitional efforts are made.
Voluntary attention is most likely to occur in the following situations:
1) when a person clearly understands his responsibilities and specific tasks when performing an activity;
2) when the activity is performed under familiar conditions, for example: the habit of doing everything according to the schedule in advance creates an attitude towards voluntary attention;
3) when performing an activity concerns any indirect interests, for example: playing scales on the piano is not very exciting, but necessary if you want to be a good musician;
4) when favorable conditions are created when performing an activity, but this does not mean complete silence, since weak side stimuli (for example, quiet music) can even increase work efficiency.
Post-voluntary attention is intermediate between involuntary and voluntary, combining the features of these two types.
It appears as voluntary, but after some time the activity being performed becomes so interesting that it no longer requires additional volitional efforts.
Thus, attention characterizes the activity and selectivity of a person in his interaction with others.
2. Traditionally, there are five properties of attention:
1) focus (concentration);
2) sustainability;
4) distribution;
5) switching.
Concentration(concentration) – attention is kept on some object or activity, while being distracted from everything else.
Sustainability- this is a long-term retention of attention, which increases if a person is active when carrying out actions with objects or performing activities.
Stability decreases if the object of attention is mobile and constantly changing.
Volume attention is determined by the number of objects that a person is able to simultaneously perceive clearly enough. For most adults, the attention span is 4–6 objects, for a schoolchild – 2–5 objects.
Distribution of attention– a person’s ability to perform two or even more activities simultaneously, when a person is simultaneously focused on several objects.
As a rule, distribution occurs when one of the activities has been mastered to such an extent that it requires only minor control.
For example, a gymnast can solve simple arithmetic problems while walking on a beam whose width is 10 cm, while a person far from sports is unlikely to do this.
Switching attention– the ability of a person to focus alternately on one or another activity (object) in connection with the emergence of a new task.
Attention also has its drawbacks, the most common of which is absent-mindedness, expressed in two forms:
1) frequent involuntary distraction while performing an activity.
They say about such people that they have “fluttering”, “sliding” attention. May arise as a consequence:
a) insufficient development of attention;
b) feeling unwell, tired;
c) for students – neglect of educational material;
d) lack of interests;
2) excessive concentration on any one object or activity, when attention is not paid to anything else.
For example, a person, thinking about something important for himself, may, while crossing the road, not notice the red traffic light and end up under the wheels of a car.
So, the positive properties of attention help to perform any type of activity more effectively and efficiently.
3. The attention of a preschooler is characterized by such qualities as involuntariness, lack of concentration, instability.
Upon entering school, the role of attention increases sharply, because a good level of its development is the key to successful mastery of educational activities.
How can a teacher organize students' attention during the lesson?
Let us name just some of the pedagogical techniques that increase the attentiveness of schoolchildren.
1. The use of voice and emotional modulation, gestures attracts the attention of students, i.e. the teacher should constantly change the intonation, pitch, volume of the voice (from normal speech to a whisper), while using adequate facial expressions and gestures.
Gestures of openness and kindness should be remembered (see the topic “Communication”).
2. Change of pace: maintaining a pause, a sharp change in speed, transition from deliberately slow speech to a tongue twister.
3. As they explain new material, students should take notes on supporting (key) words; you can invite someone else to do this on the board.
At the end of the explanation, students take turns reading out their notes.
4. During the course of the explanation, interrupt the speech at words that are quite obvious to the listeners, demanding that they continue.
The activity of schoolchildren should be encouraged in accessible ways.
5. “Memory lapses,” when the teacher allegedly forgets something quite obvious to the audience and asks him to help him “remember” (dates, names, terms, etc.).
6. Using various types of questions during the explanation of new material: leading, control, rhetorical, clarifying, counter, proposal questions, etc.
7. Changing types of activities during the lesson significantly increases the attentiveness of schoolchildren (for example, in a mathematics lesson this could be mental calculation, solving at the board, answering on cards, etc.).
8. Clear organization of the lesson, when the teacher does not have to be distracted by side activities, leaving the children left to their own devices.
If you need to write something on the board, it is better to do it in advance during the break.
When teaching younger schoolchildren, it is inappropriate to interrupt their activities with additional instructions such as: “Don’t forget to start with the red line,” “Remember vocabulary words,” etc.
After all, the work has already begun, and demands to “follow up” will only distract the children.
It is also unacceptable, when doing group work, to make loud comments to individual children (“Masha, don’t hunch over”, “Sasha, don’t twirl”), thereby distracting other students in the class from work.
For children of primary school age, it is important to think through changes, because children must have time to relax, but at the same time quickly get involved in the process of the next lesson.
Compliance with the considered pedagogical conditions for increasing children's attention will make it possible to more successfully organize the student's educational activities.
Good attention is necessary not only for schoolchildren, but also for adults.
Let's take a closer look ways to improve attention.
2. It is important to systematically practice simultaneous observation of several objects, while being able to separate the main from the secondary.
3. You should train switching attention: the speed of transition from one activity to another, the ability to highlight the main thing, the ability to change the order of switching (figuratively this is called the development of a “route of perception”).
4. The development of stability of attention is facilitated by the presence of strong-willed qualities.
You need to be able to force yourself to concentrate when you don’t feel like it.
We must alternate difficult tasks with easy ones, interesting ones with uninteresting ones.
5. Frequent use of intellectual games (chess, puzzles, etc.) also develops attention.
6. The best way to develop attention is to be attentive to the people around you.
Thus, you should develop and improve your attention throughout your life.
Attention is a cognitive process on which scientists cannot agree on one point of view. Some scientists argue that attention does not exist as a special, independent process, that it acts only as a side or moment of any other psychological process or human activity. Others believe that attention is a completely independent mental state of a person, a specific internal process that has its own characteristics that are not reducible to the characteristics of other cognitive processes. To substantiate their point of view, supporters of the latter opinion point out that in the human brain it is possible to detect and identify special structures associated specifically with attention, anatomically and physiologically relatively autonomous from those that ensure the functioning of other cognitive processes. It was pointed out, in particular, the role of the reticular formation (a medulla oblong structure in the brain stem) in ensuring attention, the orienting reflex (the first reflex to a new stimulus) as its possible innate mechanism and, finally, the dominant (a stable focus of increased excitability of the nerve centers, with in which excitations coming to the center serve to enhance excitation in the focus, while in the rest of the nervous system inhibition phenomena are widely observed), studied and described in connection with the attention of A. Ukhtomsky.
The only correct solution would be to try to combine and take into account both points of view. Then attention will not be separate, adjacent to other mental processes, but will represent a completely special state that characterizes all these processes as a whole.
Currently, the following definition is generally accepted.
Attention is the direction and concentration of consciousness on any real or ideal object, implying an increase in the level of sensory, intellectual or motor activity of the individual.
When studying attention, it is necessary to distinguish between two main levels or types: involuntary and so-called voluntary attention. When an activity captivates us and we engage in it without any volitional effort, then the direction and concentration of mental processes is involuntary. When we know that we need to do a certain job, and we take on it because of the goal set and the decision made, then the direction and concentration of mental processes is already arbitrary. Therefore, according to their origin and methods of implementation, two main types of attention are usually distinguished: involuntary and voluntary.
Involuntary attention is the simplest type of attention. It is often called passive, or forced, since it arises and is maintained independently of a person’s consciousness. An activity captivates a person by itself, due to its fascination, entertainment or surprise. However, this understanding of the causes of involuntary attention is very simplified. Usually, when involuntary attention occurs, we are dealing with a whole complex of reasons (various physical, psychophysiological and mental reasons). They are interrelated with each other, but they can be roughly divided into four categories.
The first group of reasons is related to the nature of the external stimulus. Here we must include, first of all, the strength, or intensity, of the stimulus. Imagine that you are passionate about something. In this case, you may not notice slight noise on the street or in the next room. But suddenly a loud knock is heard nearby from a heavy thing falling from the table. This will involuntarily attract your attention. Thus, any sufficiently strong irritation - loud sounds, bright light, strong shock, strong smell - involuntarily attracts attention. Of no small importance is the contrast between the stimuli, as well as the duration of the stimulus and its size and shape. This group of reasons should also include such quality of the stimulus as its novelty and unusualness. In this case, novelty is understood not only as the appearance of a previously absent stimulus, but also as a change in the physical properties of existing stimuli, weakening or cessation of their action, the absence of familiar stimuli, and the movement of stimuli in space. Thus, the first group of reasons includes the characteristics of the stimulus affecting a person.
The second group of reasons that cause involuntary attention is associated with the correspondence of external stimuli to the internal state of a person, and, above all, to his needs. Thus, a well-fed and a hungry person will react completely differently to a conversation about food. A person experiencing a feeling of hunger will involuntarily pay attention to a conversation in which food is discussed.
The third group of reasons is related to the general orientation of the individual. What interests us most and what constitutes the sphere of our interests, including professional ones, as a rule, attracts attention, even if we come across it by chance. That is why an architect or artist, walking down the street, will pay attention to the beauty of an ancient building. An editor easily finds errors in the text of a book that he just picked up to read for fun.
As the fourth independent group of reasons that cause involuntary attention, we should name those feelings that the influencing stimulus causes in us. What is interesting to us, what causes us a certain emotional reaction, is the most important reason for involuntary attention. For example, when reading an interesting book, we are completely focused on the perception of its content and do not pay attention to what is happening around us. Such attention can rightly be called predominantly emotional.
Unlike involuntary attention, the main feature of voluntary attention is that it is controlled by a conscious goal. This type of attention is closely related to the will of a person and was developed as a result of labor efforts, therefore it is also called volitional, active, intentional. Having made a decision to engage in some activity, we carry out this decision, consciously directing our attention even to what is not interesting to us, but what we consider necessary to do. The main function of voluntary attention is the active regulation of mental processes. Thus, voluntary attention is qualitatively different from involuntary attention. However, both types of attention are closely related to each other, since voluntary attention arose from involuntary attention. It can be assumed that voluntary attention arose in a person in the process of conscious activity.
The reasons for voluntary attention are not biological in origin, but social: voluntary attention does not mature in the body, but is formed in a child during his communication with adults. An adult selects an object from the environment by pointing at it and calling it a word, and the child responds to this signal by following a gesture, grasping an object, or repeating a word. Thus, this object stands out for the child from the external zero. Subsequently, children begin to set goals on their own. It should also be noted the close connection of voluntary attention with speech. The development of voluntary attention in a child is manifested in the subordination of his behavior to the verbal instructions of adults.
In distinguishing between voluntary and involuntary attention, there is no need, however, to separate one from the other and outwardly contrast them with each other. There is no doubt that voluntary attention develops from involuntary attention. On the other hand, voluntary attention turns into involuntary. As the work in which we are engaged and to which we first voluntarily directed our attention acquires immediate interest for us, voluntary attention passes into involuntary attention. Taking into account this transition of involuntary attention to voluntary and voluntary to involuntary is of significant importance, both theoretical and practical, for the correct organization of work, in particular educational work. In the pedagogical process, relying on involuntary attention, one should cultivate voluntary attention, and, on the other hand, by shaping the interests of students, as well as making the educational work itself interesting, transfer students’ voluntary attention back to involuntary. The first should be based on the awareness of the importance of learning tasks, on a sense of duty, on discipline, the second - on the direct interest of the educational material. Both are necessary.
There is another type of attention that we haven't talked about. This type of attention, like voluntary attention, is purposeful in nature and initially requires volitional efforts, but then the person “enters” into the work: the content and process of the activity, and not just its result, become interesting and significant. Dobrynin called such attention post-arbitrary. For example, a schoolchild, solving a difficult arithmetic problem, initially puts some effort into it. He takes on this task only because it needs to be done. The task is difficult and at first cannot be solved; the student is constantly distracted. He has to bring himself back to solving the problem through constant efforts of will. But now the decision has begun, the right course is outlined more and more clearly. The task is becoming more and more clear. Although it turns out to be difficult, it is possible to solve. The schoolboy becomes more and more interested in her, she captivates him more and more. He stops being distracted: the task has become interesting to him. Attention went from being voluntary to becoming, as it were, involuntary.
In contrast to truly involuntary attention, postvoluntary attention remains associated with conscious goals and is supported by conscious interests. At the same time, unlike voluntary attention, there is no or almost no volitional effort.
During life, a person is exposed to a huge number of different stimuli. But human consciousness is not capable of realizing all these objects simultaneously and clearly enough. Some objects are perceived quite clearly, others are too unclear, and others remain completely outside the field of attention.
From the entire mass of objects and phenomena around him, a person selects those that are of interest to him and correspond to his needs and life plans.
Attention- this is a person’s concentration on objects and phenomena of the surrounding world that are most significant to him.
Attention- this is the focus of the psyche (consciousness) on certain objects that have stable or situational significance for the individual.
Attention does not exist by itself. It is simply impossible to be attentive; this requires the functioning of mental processes.
The initial form of attention is the orienting reflex, which is a reaction to everything new, unknown, and unexpected. Attention can be attributed to a special form of human mental activity. It is a necessary condition for any activity.
Types of attention.
Let's consider two classifications.
- Attention may be external(directed towards the environment) and internal(focus on one’s own experiences, thoughts, feelings).
This division is to some extent arbitrary, since people are often immersed in their own thoughts, pondering their behavior.
- The classification is based on the level of volitional regulation. Attention is given involuntary, voluntary, post-voluntary.
Involuntary attention occurs without any effort on the part of the person, and there is no goal or special intention.
Involuntary attention is the simplest type of attention. It is often called passive or forced, since it arises and is maintained independently of the person’s consciousness. An activity captivates a person in itself due to its fascination, entertainment or surprise.
Involuntary attention may occur:
1) Due to certain characteristics of the stimulus. These features include:
a) strength, and not absolute, but relative (in complete darkness, attention can be attracted by the light from a match);
b) surprise;
c) novelty and unusualness;
d) contrast (among Europeans, a person of the Negroid race is more likely to attract attention);
e) mobility (this is the basis for the action of a beacon, which not only lights up, but blinks);
2) From the internal motives of the individual. This includes a person’s mood, interests and needs. Voluntary attention occurs when a goal is consciously set, to achieve which volitional efforts are made.
Unlike involuntary attention, the main feature voluntary attention is that it is driven by a conscious purpose. This type of attention is closely related to the will of a person and was developed as a result of labor efforts, therefore it is also called volitional, active, intentional.
A person focuses not on what is interesting or pleasant for him, but on what he should do. By voluntarily focusing on an object, a person makes a volitional effort, which maintains attention throughout the entire process of activity; the volitional effort is experienced as tension, the mobilization of forces to solve the task at hand. Voluntary attention occurs when a person sets a goal for an activity, the implementation of which requires concentration. Voluntary attention owes its origin to work.
An important condition for maintaining voluntary attention is the mental state of a person. A tired person finds it very difficult to concentrate. Emotional arousal caused by extraneous causes significantly weakens voluntary attention.
The main function of voluntary attention is the active regulation of mental processes. Thus, voluntary attention is qualitatively different from involuntary attention. However, both types of attention are closely related to each other, since voluntary attention arose from involuntary attention.
Most likely voluntary attention in the following situations:
1) when a person clearly understands his responsibilities and specific tasks when performing an activity;
2) when the activity is performed under familiar conditions, for example: the habit of doing everything according to the schedule in advance creates an attitude towards voluntary attention;
3) when performing an activity concerns any indirect interests, for example: playing scales on the piano is not very exciting, but necessary if you want to be a good musician;
4) when favorable conditions are created when performing an activity, but this does not mean complete silence, since weak side stimuli (for example, quiet music) can even increase work efficiency.
Post-voluntary attention is intermediate between involuntary and voluntary, combining the features of these two types.
It appears as voluntary, but after some time the activity being performed becomes so interesting that it no longer requires additional volitional efforts.
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Read more articles on this topic:
What is voluntary attention and how to train it
"Be careful!" - this phrase increasingly accompanies a growing child both at home and in kindergarten, and even while walking on the street.
The adult considers the child to be absent-minded and seeks to intensify his attention. But if you think about it, you can find in these same statements an indication that the child is very focused. It’s just that his attention is directed not to what is important from the point of view of an adult, but to what is significant for him.
Attention is a mental process that is necessarily present when a child learns the world and is manifested in the direction and concentration of the psyche on certain objects. From the huge flow of information continuously coming from the surrounding world, thanks to the work of attention, the child chooses the one that is most interesting, significant and important for him. The nature of attention is manifested in the fact that the selected object, occupying the main, dominant position, creates in the human cerebral cortex the strongest focus of nervous tension - the dominant. At the same time, the action of all other stimuli is inhibited. They do not reach the child’s consciousness, he does not notice them.
There are several types of attention:
- external attention , addressed to objects and phenomena of the surrounding world, to the actions of other people. This type can be noticed already in an infant. (Searching eye movements, turning the head towards a light source, smell or sound, freezing, etc.).
- In a preschooler one can also observe the manifestation internal attention , which is aimed at his own thoughts and experiences. The most striking example of this is the situation when a child, having abandoned all his affairs, freezes with a distant look. Such detachment should not be mistaken for absent-mindedness. On the contrary, it is the culmination of internal attention.
- Concentration and direction of the psyche can arise in response to any strong, unusual, sharp, sudden stimulus without any effort on the part of the person. This kind of attention is called involuntary . It appears along with the question: “What is this?”, which arises when we encounter something new and unusual. For a child of five to seven years old, this question is very relevant. “Ordinary miracles” await a preschooler in a variety of situations and at a variety of times.
- Involuntary attention is distinguished by the spontaneity of its occurrence, the lack of effort for its appearance and maintenance. Having arisen accidentally, it can immediately fade away. In the sixth year of life, the child begins to control his own attention, forcing himself to focus on something important and necessary, sacrificing entertaining and interesting things. The type of attention in which a person sets a conscious goal to concentrate on something is called .
In this case, setting and achieving goals requires the expenditure of physical energy, which is provided by emotions and will. A child, showing voluntary attention, spends not only his time, but also part of his energy. This is why it is important to thank your child for showing voluntary attention.
How does voluntary attention develop? The means by which a child begins to manage his attention are obtained in the process of interaction with adults. Parents and educators include the child in new types of activities such as games according to the rules, construction, etc. By introducing the child to these types of activities, adults organize his attention with the help of verbal instructions. The child is directed to the need to perform given actions, taking into account certain circumstances. Later, the child himself begins to designate in words those objects and phenomena that need to be paid attention to in order to achieve the desired result. This is how he masters one of the main means of controlling attention - the ability to verbally formulate what he will focus on
- . During preschool age, the child’s use of speech to organize his own attention increases sharply. When performing a task according to an adult’s instructions, children of older preschool age pronounce the instructions 10-12 times more often than younger preschoolers. Thus, voluntary attention is formed in preschool age due to the general increase in the role of speech in regulating the child’s behavior. It often happens that activities that initially required volitional efforts to concentrate attention later become interesting and captivate the child. Voluntary attention then turns into
post-voluntary
, in which the characteristic features of both voluntary and involuntary attention are mixed. Post-voluntary attention is similar to voluntary attention in its activity and purposefulness, and to involuntary attention it is similar to the lack of effort to maintain it.
At 5-7 years old, you can notice that the child’s games and any other activity have become significantly longer than in younger preschool years, this indicates that the stability of attention increases, which is responsible for how long the child can maintain a sufficient level of concentration psyche at the object or activity performed. Older preschoolers are able to maintain attention on activities that acquire intellectually significant interest for them (puzzle games, riddles, educational-type tasks). But there are features of the stability of a preschooler’s attention and conditions under which it will only increase:
- Engage your child without a break for no more than 35 minutes, the ideal time is 25 minutes.
- Breaks between classes or any activity that requires a lot of attention should not be less than 20 minutes.
- The ideal days for activities that require intense attention are Tuesday and Wednesday.
- You should not overload him on weekends with activities in various clubs, studios, visiting guests, theaters, museums, watching films, playing computer games, and so on. Such an abundance of impressions does not give the child the opportunity to concentrate on the activities offered to him on weekdays, and can also cause drowsiness, and nerve cells can lose sensitivity and stop responding to stimuli falling on them. To avoid this, it is important to ensure that your child follows daily regime, especially on weekends.
There are also other properties of attention:
Concentration of attention determines how strongly and intensely a child can concentrate on an object, as well as how much he is able to resist distracting circumstances and random interference. Most often, the power of concentration in preschoolers is small; it is important to develop it. For example, with this exercise:
Try learning a poem with your child while the radio or TV is on. Learn the first quatrain with a very weak sound. While memorizing the second quatrain, increase the volume a little. Learn the last quatrain with a loud enough sound.
Switching attention determined by the speed of the child’s deliberate transition from one object or activity to another. At the same time, the transfer of attention is always accompanied by some nervous tension, which is realized by volitional effort.
Distribution of attention involves its dispersal at the same time into several objects. It is this property that makes it possible to perform several actions at once, keeping them in the field of attention. At preschool age, switching and distribution of attention are poorly developed and require training.
To train switching and distribution of attention, you can use the following exercise:
The child is offered a sheet with lines consisting of different figures, which are arranged interspersed: circles, squares, rectangles, trapezoids, ovals, etc. The task is given: cross out one figure (for example, a circle) with a vertical line, and another figure (for example, a triangle) ) underline with a horizontal line, skip all other figures.