Attention and its properties

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Attention and its properties

Plan:

1. The concept of attention.

2. Physiological basis of attention.

3. Types of attention: a) involuntary attention

4. b) voluntary attention c) last (coordinated) attention from voluntary.

5. Characteristic features of attention:

6. a) strength and stability of attention b) division c) scope g) distribution.

7. Development of attention.

Basic concepts on the topic:

Involuntary attention is concentration of the mind on an object without a plan, without a goal, without willpower.

Voluntary attention is a type of attention, it is a plan, goal, willpower.

The focus of optimal arousal is the physiological basis of attention

The last form of voluntary attention is coordinated attention.

Focus is a shift of attention from one object to another.

Stability - constant attention, stability, long term.

Anxiety is a feature of attention, which occurs when the nervous system is tired or damaged.

1. Concept of attention

       The mental activity of the person at the moment, that is, the totality of his needs, is directed towards the dominant motive at the moment. A person is influenced by a lot of external stimuli, the external stimuli corresponding to various needs of a person and the inclinations of different importance for the person and external stimuli. interaction is expressed in the selective nature of mental activity. Being able to choose a certain object inevitably takes place with the participation of attention.

Attention is a cognitive process consisting of directing mental activity and focusing on an object of certain importance for a person. Orientation means selective nature of mental activity, voluntary and involuntary selection of an object. When a student listens to what the teacher is saying at school, he has consciously chosen this activity of listening, his attention is consciously aroused, and he is subordinated to this goal. The direction of the student's mental activity is expressed when the student concentrates on the content of the educational material without being distracted by anything else.

Orientation of mental activity means not only the choice of this activity, but also the maintenance and support of this chosen one. Any pedagogue knows that it is difficult to attract students' attention. For this, it is necessary to use special pedagogical methods. Focusing mental activity on the attention, and its accumulation, like other things that have nothing to do with this activity, means distraction from all activities. Concentration of attention in one place is understood as giving complete attention to this activity, paying more or less deep attention to it. You can flip through a picture book for a quick review. In this case, concentration of attention will not be strong. A more difficult book can be read with the aim of trying to understand every point it makes, and to understand a complex issue from beginning to end, looking at all the interrelationships. Concentration of attention in this state is very strong. For example: A student who is writing an essay for homework sometimes does not hear the speech of others or the sound of the radio at home. Concentration of attention will be strong.

2. Physiological bases of attention

      Attention is related to the excitation of certain nerve centers and the inhibition of other nerve centers in the brain, which ensures the separation of stimuli that are important for the object, that is, the direction of mental activity. . Any newly created stimulus, if it has a sufficiently intense tension, creates the corresponding excitation process, this reflex is expressed by the reflex "what is this", as IPPavlov said. This is the physiological basis of simple attention.

Attention can be related to remembering by association and its perception of objects that do not differ from novelty, but that object has gained special importance in the emergency. The law of induction of neural processes discovered by IP Pavlov is important for understanding the physiological basis of attention. According to this law, the processes of excitation that occur in one part of the cerebral cortex cause inhibition processes in other parts of the cerebral cortex. The braking process that occurred in some part of the brain stem leads to the emergence of strong excitation processes in other parts of the brain stem. At every moment of this moment, there is a strong source of excitation that is optimal for the vision process, that is, it moves with great ease. "If it is possible to look at the skull, IPPavlov said, the brain inside it is visible, if the point where the best conditions for optimal strong stimulation are born in the cerebral hemispheres is visible flashing. , when we look at the brain of a person who is thinking about something new and healthy, we see a very strange and quiet shape in the large hemispheres of his brain, the shape and size of which are changing, turning, and flickering from one side to the other. we could see that it was running and moving, and the hemisphere of the brain was pulling the other lands around this bright object a little dimly.

      The principle of dominance advanced by AAUkhtomsky is also of great importance for determining the physiological basis of attention. According to the principle of dominance, there is always a dominant center of excitation in the brain, this dominant center of excitation affects the brain at this very moment, and all the changes occurring in it It somehow draws the movements to itself, and as a result, its dominance over other movements increases even more. The nature of the activity of the nervous system is based on the dominance of excitation or the existence of a dominant.

This situation is psychologically expressed in focusing attention on certain triggers and distracting attention from other triggers that are acting at the same time. Serious attention is usually associated with characteristic external expressions. Actions aimed at better perception of things (hearing with fixed gaze) are associated with stopping excessive movements, slowing down breathing, facial movements typical for attention.

3. Types of attention

Attention in human activity is divided into several types:

1. Involuntary attention;

2. Voluntary attention;

3. Divided into coordinated optional attention.

    When we do not set the goal of focusing attention, the direction and concentration of mental activity can be involuntary. In such cases, the activity can attract a person with its interesting, interesting or unexpected exceptionality. A person is involuntarily addicted to things, events, activities that affect him. For example: if a person doing something hears a nice tune or song on the radio or hears an announcement, he will stop what he is doing and listen to the radio. However, since we know that we need to do a certain work due to the goal we have and the decision we have made, in this case, the direction and concentration of attention can be voluntary. At such a time, we aim to focus our attention on the work we are doing. For example: we consider the voluntary nature of the school student's conscious performance of the assigned task. And sometimes something completely different attracts? At this point, we usually have complex reasons for attracting attention. In order to analyze these reasons, we conditionally divide them into different categories. In this case, the relative strength of the stimulus plays a more important role than the absolute strength.

     It is important that the trigger has a stopping effect. The light that burns and flies at certain time intervals attracts our attention faster than the light that affects us all the time. Also, the stop of the trigger attracts our attention. For example: if the student is preparing a lesson in the same noise (fan noise), he will not notice the noise, if the noise stops, he will notice it immediately. We can consider the attention that depends on the external character of the stimulus as almost mandatory attention. Pedagogical practice, of course, should be reckoned with this category of reasons that arouse attention. The teacher can sometimes speak louder or lower his voice to attract students' attention. But such methods will never completely solve the problem of attention in school. After this method and together with them, other methods of attracting students' attention should be used.

The reasons of the second category that create voluntary attention include the matching of external stimuli with the internal state of a person and the needs that exist in a person first. For example: when we are hungry, a delicious smell involuntarily attracts our attention. If our stomach is full, we may not notice this smell. Reasons in this category include fun and attractiveness. If the words of the teacher replace the imaginations that cause different emotions, the attention of the students will not fade away. We can call this attention emotional attention.

      The causes of attention include the influence of previous experiences, including the influence of our knowledge and imagination, and the influence of skills and habits that are often important in attracting attention. In attracting attention, the influence of the general direction of the human personality and interests, which are one of the important reasons for creating attention, is extremely large. If something is directly interesting to us, it attracts our attention involuntarily. The influence of interest to attract attention is especially great in the first years of the child, as well as in the school years. While using curiosity as a means of attracting attention, it should not be forgotten that curiosity must be connected to our previous experience and existing knowledge. An interesting presentation of educational materials combined with consistency and systematicity ensures constant interest and undivided attention. Voluntary attention differs from involuntary attention in that it focuses on things based on the impact of decisions made and our conscious goals. If in involuntary attention the work simply attracts us, in voluntary attention we put our will to focus, overcoming difficulties, struggling to concentrate and exerting willpower to avoid being distracted by all other things, consciously focusing our attention. we focus on a work in the picture. The special feature of voluntary attention is manifested in aiming for this goal and giving voluntary effort. Voluntary attention is the manifestation of our will. When we make a decision to engage in some activity, we consciously focus our attention on things that are not interesting for us at the moment, but which we find necessary to engage in. Voluntary attention is qualitatively different from involuntary attention. Work is purposeful activity. Aiming includes directing attention. Voluntary attention, like involuntary attention, is strongly related to human interests. Interests in voluntary attention are mainly immediacy. Such interests are related to the goal, that is, the results of the activity.

     In addition to voluntary attention, one more type of attention should be noted, which, like voluntary attention, is aimed at a goal, but does not require voluntary effort. For example: a student tried to solve a difficult problem in mathematics, but could not solve it. He looks at the door by himself, hears this and that, involuntarily writes something. He starts to understand the way to solve the example and solves the example. Voluntary attention of the student becomes coordinated voluntary attention.

Coordinated voluntary attention cannot be replaced by involuntary attention. Because coordinated volitional attention is associated with the goals pursued in the conscious image and conscious interests are supported. On the other hand, coordinated voluntary attention is not the same as pure voluntary attention, because during coordinated voluntary attention there is almost no volitional effort. Therefore, this special type of attention is qualitatively different from involuntary attention.

4. Characteristics of attention

      Specific characteristics of attention include its strength and stability, division, laughter, distraction, and distribution. First of all, it is necessary to highlight the aspect of stability of attention. Can we talk about the attention wave of a certain period of time? Some researchers have tried to limit attention span to purely biological rhythms. They introduced the characteristic of the so-called vibration of attention into the biological rhythm of attention. The fluctuating nature of attention is usually studied through unknown stimuli. For example: if we listen to the ticking of the clock, despite our serious attention, this sound is sometimes noticed, and sometimes it is not noticed. A similar phenomenon occurs when separating light differences that are close to each other. Such oscillation periods of attention have been calculated. As it is known, the duration of the attention fluctuation is not very long and reaches from 1,5 seconds to 2,6 seconds. This is a proof that the basis of attention fluctuation is externalized by biological processes. Although we cannot focus our attention for a long time on a stationary and unchanging object, we cannot keep our attention for a long time on performing some activity with the change and mobility of the object we encounter. For example: while playing ball, even though all the attention cannot stay on one object for a long time, but the attention can be concentrated on one activity for a long time.

      As it turned out, during the 40-minute work, there was no serious fluctuation of attention. So, students can work without stopping during the whole lesson. Of course, students get tired of such continuous work. At this age, it is not appropriate to assign long-term work to students. Depending on the age of the children, even if the work is difficult, they should be given rest and transferred from one type of work to another. The intensity of the activity is extremely important for the stability of attention. Attention combines with movement and creates a strong connection with the object. The division of attention is the externalization of mental activity in such a way that two or more tasks are performed at the same time. Can attention really be divided? According to some studies conducted at the end of the last century, two tasks performed at the same time, for example: reading a memorized poem and at the same time writing small numbers on paper can eat It takes as long to do both of these jobs as it does to do them individually. The ability to divide one's attention is of great importance for a number of professions, for example: students, drivers, pedagogues and others. While the teacher is explaining the educational material in the lesson, he should convey his thoughts, listen to what he is saying, and at the same time, monitor the class for how the students hear him. An important aspect of attention is its ability to quickly switch from one type of activity to another. It is sometimes necessary to refer to the transfer of attention to the reflection of two mutually different observers perceived at the same time, the effect of two different stimuli at the same time. It cannot be known immediately.

It's easier to hear the speaker when you're looking at it. Here, auditory and visual stimuli reinforce each other.

        Mindfulness externalizes the negative side of attention. Parashonkhotir is often understood to be completely devoted to work. At this time, a person does not notice the surrounding things at all. Anxiety is common in children. It is necessary to fight against such confusion by educating children's personality and its voluntary qualities for a long time. In addition to distraction, there are also other types of attention deficits. Narrowing of consciousness due to illness, limitation of the scope of attention, narrowing of the scope of attention. In some cases of mental illness, it is possible to observe cases of inertness (slowness) or complete immobility of attention, stopping on some object. During the one-month periods of a child's life, only involuntary attention is characteristic for him. During this period, the child is first affected by external stimuli and their sudden changes. For example: Sudden loud sounds are affected by changes in movement and other things. Symptoms of involuntary attention usually begin to appear after the child reaches the age of two years. Voluntary attention occurs in the process of upbringing, the people around the child gradually teach what to do. Children have to turn their attention away from their direct inclinations to the actions required of them. A child, of course, has a very simple form of infancy, but consciousness is manifested. By teaching the child to be tidy, orderly, disciplined, and follow social rules, we develop voluntary attention in the child. The game is of great importance for the development of a child's voluntary attention during the kindergarten age. Kindergarten children's attention is very stable. The ability to concentrate gradually develops with practice.

Voluntary attention is of particular importance in the learning process. The disciplining effect of school activities, sitting in the classroom during the lesson, the need to listen to the words of students, not to be distracted, all these play a big role in training voluntary attention. Various educational activities require maintaining focus and focus on the school curriculum. Children's emotions are often strong. Therefore, their attention will be strong even if it lasts for a short time.

       The emotions of school-aged children become more stable. That is why the pedagogue enriches the reading material with emotional moments, thereby helping to maintain the stability and strength of attention. A student of school age who is interested in something can be attentive for a long time. But if the adult's control is reduced, he may become distracted from the necessary task and start doing something else. For example: a student studying literature may think about a movie or a work he has read. Some children pay attention to physical work classes, while others pay attention to mental work. Pupils who are attentive in their favorite classes may be very worried by teachers in other classes. Pupils' attitude to the subject, their attentiveness to it depends to a large extent on the student's ability to teach the educational material vividly, emotionally, interestingly, comprehensibly, at the same time fully and deeply. . Non-observance of these requirements leads to distraction of students in the lesson or emergence of secondary interests. Cultivation of deep, stable interest in teenagers, serious consideration of the content of teaching is a necessary condition for education of attention in them.

      If this condition is observed, the teenager will quickly acquire the ability to voluntarily control and stop his attention, despite some impulsive (involuntary) actions that allow him to control his attention. He can force himself to do an interesting and difficult job carefully. For example: Assignments from all subjects. In teenagers, the external expression of attention also changes compared to a child of junior school age. If the facial expression and body position of a junior high school student clearly determine how attentive he is, the teenager can hide his lack of attention. It can be determined only through the observation of the teacher.

5. Development of attention

      Education and all types of human activity, mainly voluntary attention grows with age, during human activity mainly under the influence of education. Adults focus children's attention on something. This voluntary attention directed by adults begins to appear when the child reaches the age of two. In this case, in order to maintain the concentration and stability of the child's attention, he has to overcome the impression of stimuli that attract him involuntarily from a young age. Adults teach children to be clean, orderly, disciplined and live in society. All of them promote voluntary attention. From the age of 5, voluntary attention begins to grow on the child's own initiative. Voluntary attention in children begins to grow rapidly from school age. The reading process itself contributes to the growth of voluntary attention and its concentration and stability. As children grow up, some qualities of attention, strength, power and stability increase. Children's attention is first of all characterized by the narrowness of their eyes, their slow movement from one thing to another, and their division. In one-year-old children, we can see only narrowly focused attention. For example: if we give something to a child and hold it in one hand, then give something else to the other hand, he will drop the thing in the first hand, which means that the child's attention cannot be allocated to the thing he is holding in his hand. Later, with the help of adults, children's ability to divide their attention increases during play, study and practical work.

As children grow up, the power and stability of attention increases. These features grow in the process of play, work and study.

       A certain level of strong and stable attention is required for the reading process. Enrichment of children's minds with content and the growth of their thinking will greatly help the growth of stability of attention. Involuntary attention is characteristic of the first moments of a child's life. That's why the child is first affected by loud voices, bright colors, and stimuli coming from outside. From the third month of life, the child begins to be more interested in the external aspects of the object. now the child can look more at an object and put it in his mouth. Shiny things start to attract his attention.

Voluntary attention begins to form in the last or the beginning of the second year of childhood. In 2-year-old children, the elements of consciousness begin to appear along with voluntary attention. The game is of great importance in the development of a child's voluntary attention. If involuntary attention is not strong in children of kindergarten age, voluntary attention will not be strong. The educational process is important in the education of voluntary attention, that is, how to learn in class, school assignments, listening to the teacher, all of them play a big role in the formation of voluntary attention. Attention during preschool childhood is involuntary. Children of school age cannot control their attention. Voluntary attention occurs only episodicly during the game. Due to its complexity, obligation and social significance, educational activities require serious attention development.

The main feature of the attention of school-aged children is the growth of voluntary attention. The reason for the instability of voluntary attention in lower grade students is the rapid exhaustion of the nervous system and the weakness of the braking process. Therefore, the teacher should try to make the educational material as interesting and diverse as possible, try to activate the students, think in advance about the possibilities of giving a break during the training. must reach. Proper externalization of educational activities prepares the ground for getting used to attentiveness, which is formed in elementary grades and is strengthened in adolescence. Adolescents have an interest in learning about various things, a keen enthusiasm and a desire to do many things independently. On the one hand, it allows to increase concentration and stability of attention. On the other hand, distraction causes cases of light distraction, because only the active involvement of a teenager allows to determine the state of attention, direct it to the lesson material and keep it.

      Skillful leadership and strong control of the teacher ensures the correct education of the attention of middle-aged students. In such conditions, the teenager himself begins to try to educate voluntary attention. Early adolescence is associated with further development of all features and types of attention. At this age, a wide range of interest in knowledge and high responsibility for education, the joint development of an understanding of its importance for future labor activities prepares the ground for the emergence and development of the most productive last voluntary attention, that is, volitional attention.

During many years of study, the habit of working attentively in the process of solving more and more difficult problems appears, the result of which is that a high school student can concentrate his attention relatively easily on work that is difficult and uninteresting for him. he did.

Such young men and women have the ability to diligently study complex, abstract, theoretical material. In fact, a child of junior school age, even a teenager, needs to rely on demonstrative and concrete material. The meaningfulness and logic of teaching play a decisive role in attracting and retaining attention in the upper classes.