Purpose of Attention

Three types of attention training objectives are defined in cognitive terms. The classification scheme is quite commonly made in an effort to indicate the attention of the target or implied contains most of the attention in the literature.

The first class of objectives is the correct understanding of certain things, and accurate implementation of specific actions (both internal and external), especially when the other objects or actions are available. Simple examples of perception identifications of objects individually in a cluttered place, such as research and reading; Examples of selecting an action verb linked to a noun or presented on the implementation of a particular series of finger movements. All of these examples require a process that a selected portion of the information to the same stimulus in the matrix or in memory.

The second type of target is an increase in the speed of the embodiment of observations and actions (internal and external), by preparing the system to process the stimuli and / or actions. Examples perception accelerated the identification of an object, which is produced by the preparation of shape, color perception and / or moving objects (for example, an object or eating predator); for example, the action is accelerated assembly of the program of action, when the shape of the response expected in advance (for example, select the words to express a meaning, or prepare to handle a rapid series showcasing a pilot experiment) . Preparing for the perceptions and actions may be associated with the care of their part in memory, so that the parts can be accurately and quickly converted to the appropriate executive orders as events unfold.

The third class of the goals is to maintain the focus on observation or action over a relatively long time interval for its own sake, that is, without the hope of using them helped in the near future a number of upcoming collectively object detecting whether to perform an action. Examples include the extension of the aesthetic (viewing a painting), ends (tasting) food and repetitive actions, such as humming a tune or repeating doodling with a pencil. This method of support direct attention of the other two classes of targets (to respond more quickly and accurately), it gives no direct adaptive benefits to the individual. A distance possible benefits of maintaining focus on an enjoyable activity that can support the relief resulting from fatigue more elective respond to future environmental problems. Still, the prospect of being able to expand our understanding of the aesthetic and processing finisher motivates much of our everyday human action. The purpose of easy maintenance of some form of processing obviously raises the same mechanism of direct attention as the adaptive purpose of rapid and accurate processing.