Attention is when a person selectively directs and focuses his consciousness on an object or specific activity. At the same time, the individual’s sensory, motor, and intellectual activity increases. Mindfulness has an organic basis, representing a special structure of the brain that ensures the functioning of this parameter and is responsible for the manifestation of external characteristics. In the brain, special cells are responsible for attentiveness - neurons, which experts also call novelty detectors.

Why is mindfulness needed?

The functions performed by attention answer this question. The importance of attentiveness can be outlined using the simplest situational examples from a person’s daily activities, illustrating the work about “the absent-minded person from Basseynaya Street.” Thus, inattention can lead to erroneous actions. In some mental disorders, inattentiveness in its extreme manifestations acts as a symptom of the disease. Inattention in children may indicate slow development. Thus, voluntary attention may be impaired.

Psychologists identify the following main functions:

• vigilance;
• reaction to signals and their detection;
• search functions;
• selectivity;
• distribution.

Vigilance is important when providing a sense of personal safety. Search functions are also directly related to mindfulness. Thus, the development of this quality through search is facilitated by such a simple school technique as working on mistakes and checking one’s own work for their presence. This not only develops attentiveness, but also forms involuntary attention.

Attentiveness in the field of intellectual work is important. In order to identify the degree of its formation and development, various techniques are used.

In addition, psychology uses such concepts as signs of attention. These include pantomic behavioral features: freezing, holding the breath or slowing it down, manifested in concentration on a specific object during intellectual work. Thus, today one of the most studied is visual attention. A sign of its manifestation is contemplation or looking at visible objects, the ability to remember their arrangement or external features. Develop children's visual attention through color or shape. The development of auditory attention is based on the ability to memorize sounds and pronunciations.

Mindfulness in all its diversity

Such a parameter as attentiveness is also subject to classification within the framework of psychological science. The following types of attention are distinguished:

1. involuntary;
2. arbitrary;
3. post-voluntary.

The classification is based on the principles of conscious choice, its direction and regulation. It is also important to mention that the types of attention described below cannot be considered separately.

Involuntary attention

For it to manifest itself, a person does not need to make any special efforts. Some strong stimulus in the form of a new one that arouses interest is enough. The key function of involuntary attention is considered to be a person’s ability to quickly and adequately navigate the constantly changing parameters of the surrounding world, highlighting objects that are important in life and personal terms.

Involuntary attention in medicine is represented by several synonyms - passive attentiveness or emotional. This emphasizes that the individual lacks effort aimed at concentrating on the object. There is a connection between objects of attention and his emotions.

Voluntary attention

It also has the following synonyms in the literature - active or volitional. This type is characterized by purposeful concentration of consciousness coupled with efforts of will. A person who has set himself a certain task and consciously develops a program to achieve it triggers his voluntary attention. And it begins to regulate the mental processes occurring in the brain. The stronger the will of an individual, the more strength he will be able to mobilize to solve the assigned tasks. Thanks to this function, a person can extract from his memory only the information necessary for this, highlighting the most important thing from the entire memory volume.

The development of voluntary attention also works on the basis of this feature. An ordinary person without special training can use it for about 20 minutes.

Postarbitrary view

The post-voluntary type occurs in situations when a task goes from being paramount to being mundane. An example would be a schoolboy with his homework. At first, he sits down to carry them out by force of will, but gradually this process becomes commonplace, and its implementation does not require any volitional effort on his part. Post-voluntary appearance is a habit of something.

In terms of psychological characteristics, this type is somewhat similar to involuntary. The duration of manifestation of post-voluntary attentiveness can be several hours. It is actively used in pedagogical practice, artificially introducing schoolchildren into a state of post-voluntary attention.

Other types and properties of attention

In addition to the main ones described above, there are several more:

• Natural attention is given to a person from birth. It is expressed in the individual’s selective response to stimuli with elements of novelty. And it doesn’t matter whether they are internal or external. The main process that ensures these types of attention, in particular their activity, is the orienting reflex;
• Socially conditioned attention is the result of a person’s training and education. It has a close connection with the regulation of behavior using the will and a consciously selective response to the object of attention;
• Direct attention is controlled only by the object to which it is directed and if the object of attention fully corresponds to the needs and interests of the person at the moment;
• Indirect attention. Its regulation occurs with the help of special means, which include gestures, words, pointing signs or objects;
• Sensual attention is part of a person’s emotionality and the selective activity of his organs responsible for feelings;
• Intellectual attention contacts the direction and concentration of human thought.

The properties and manifestations of mindfulness are not subject to classification. And they can be observed in the course of intellectual activity. So, this is the ability to concentrate, switch from one type of activity to another. Such a characteristic as intensity is also taken into account. It depends on the psychological significance and importance for the individual of intellectual or other activity.

Concentration - the ability to concentrate on a specific object for a long period of time, is one of the main signs of mindfulness.

Development attention

Almost all forms of attention can be developed. This is facilitated by the educational, intellectual and labor activity of a person. At the same time, it is recommended to create for him conditions conducive to the formation of:

1. intellectual work in conditions of distractions, while ensuring that the person is not distracted by them;
2. to make a person realize that the work he is mastering has social significance, and he must bear responsibility for the work he performs;
3. the distribution and volume of attention can be formed as a specific work skill or intellectual activity by simultaneously performing several actions in conditions where the pace of activity increases. In this way, for example, visual attention is developed. There is also a classification according to the degree of complexity of various techniques.

The stability of mindfulness can be ensured by the development of the individual’s volitional qualities. Switching is developed by selecting special exercises. The method is often used when the development of voluntary attention is important. The only condition for training is to do any work efficiently.

Author of the article: Svetlana Syumakova

Attention is a special mental process through which our cognitive activity is directed and focused on phenomena and objects, processes and connections present in the world around us.

In psychology, we usually distinguish between involuntary, voluntary and post-voluntary attention based on the degree of participation of the will in the memorization process. Involuntary is not distinguished either by setting a goal to remember or by applying effort. Voluntary, on the contrary, is characterized by setting a goal to remember and the conscious use of willpower to remember. The post-voluntary grows out of the voluntary: becoming habitual, the effort of will ceases to be a burden. Goal setting remains, but volitional effort as such is no longer present. This happens when the process of purposeful effort becomes so important that a person is captured by his activity, and he no longer needs to make volitional efforts.

Features of voluntary attention

Voluntary attention manifests itself when we set a task for ourselves and develop a program for its implementation. The ability to control voluntary attention develops in a person gradually; it is not innate. But, having mastered the habit of voluntarily controlling our attention, its direction and concentration, we solve our problems more easily and no longer feel tension or discomfort due to the need to concentrate and maintain attention on what is necessary.

Voluntary attention demonstrates the volitional qualities of a person and his activity, reveals the range of interests, goals, and effectiveness. The main function of this type of attention is active participation in regulating the flow of mental processes. Voluntary attention allows you to find the necessary information in memory, identify the main thing, decide on a solution and act, solving problems and tasks.

Voluntary attention, when involved in work, involves the cerebral cortex (frontal regions), which are responsible for programming and adjusting human activity (including his behavior). The peculiarity of voluntary attention is manifested in the fact that the main stimulus in this case is a signal from the second signaling system (and not from the first, as happens with involuntary attention). Excitation that arises in the cerebral cortex as a thought or order to oneself becomes dominant. “Recharge” of voluntary attention occurs when the upper parts of the brain stem, reticular formation, and hypothalamus are activated, that is, under the influence of verbal stimuli. Voluntary attention is the highest mental function that distinguishes a person.

The conscious application of volitional efforts is a feature of voluntary attention, which helps in the process of working with new, unfamiliar material, when difficulties arise in work, when cognitive interest in a topic decreases, in the presence of various kinds of distractions.

We can highlight some distinctive features of voluntary attention as a higher mental function:

Its indirectness and awareness;

Arbitrariness;

Emergence during the evolution of the development of society;

Formation throughout life;

Passage of certain developmental phases in ontogenesis;

Dependence and conditionality of the development of a child’s voluntary attention on his involvement in the learning process and on the assimilation of certain patterns of attention organization.

Types and characteristics of voluntary attention

Several types of voluntary attention can be distinguished: volitional, expectant, conscious and spontaneous. Each of these types of voluntary attention has its own specific features. The characteristics of voluntary attention in this case are somewhat different from each other:

— Volition manifests itself in conditions of conflict between “I want” and “need”, when you have to use willpower and make efforts.

— Expectant behavior manifests itself in the process of solving problems that require vigilance.

— Consciousness is arbitrary in nature, but does not require much effort and proceeds easily.

— Spontaneous attention, close to post-voluntary attention, is characterized by the fact that in this case it is difficult to start something, but in the process of work, efforts are no longer needed.

In older preschoolers, voluntary attention is still relatively weakly expressed and is characterized by low stability. Therefore, parents and educators are faced with the difficult task of organizing the child’s voluntary attention, without leaving things to chance and without dooming the development of attention to dependence on random coincidences.

The child's voluntary attention

The first signs of a child’s voluntary attention appear when we point him to a toy, and at the same time the child turns his gaze to him. The simplest form of a child’s voluntary attention begins to actively develop at about 2-3 years of age. By the age of four or five, a child, under the guidance of an adult, is already able to carry out quite complex instructions from an adult, and by the age of six, the child is already able to direct his attention, following his own instructions. Volitional processes develop from the age of six to seven.

It is necessary to take into account the age capabilities of the child, which limit the time for attentive completion of tasks. Often, parents consider their child inattentive, placing too high demands on him. Psychologists' studies show that at different ages children are able to concentrate for varying amounts of time, even when playing. So, at six months, one game takes a child a maximum of a quarter of an hour, and by the age of six, play time increases to one and a half hours. At the age of two, the baby is not yet able to “get distracted for an hour” by playing.

The ability to concentrate also develops gradually, and the child, as a result, is less distracted with age. Research shows that if at the age of three years a child is distracted about four times in 10 minutes of play, then at six years old - only once. Therefore, when working with preschool children, you need to give preference to short, alternating exercises. Each task should trigger involuntary attention, capturing the novelty, attracting and intriguing. Then voluntary attention is triggered: the adult gives instructions on how to complete the task. If the child becomes interested in the task, the mechanism of post-voluntary attention will also be activated, which will allow the child to study for quite a long time.

Around the age of six, the gradual development of voluntary and post-voluntary attention occurs: the child is able, through an effort of will, to direct attention to something that needs to be done, although, perhaps, he would prefer to do something more exciting. And only by the third grade is the child able to maintain attention throughout the entire lesson.

Formation of voluntary attention

To form the voluntary attention of older preschoolers, it is recommended to take into account factors that help organize the mobilization of attention most effectively. This purpose is served by:

— Ability to group perceived objects.

— Clear construction of the beginning and end of the game, the presence of attributes.

— Logically consistent and understandable instructions from an adult.

— Alternation of different types of activities using different analyzers (auditory, tactile, visual).

— Dosing the load, taking into account the individual characteristics of a preschool child, both age and personal.

The formation of voluntary attention occurs under the influence of family, kindergarten, intellectual development, in a holistic system of education and upbringing. It includes the development of volitional qualities, and the development of a conscious attitude towards acquiring knowledge, and physical and aesthetic education. In this case, an important role is given to the use of pedagogical skills, thanks to which it is possible to organize preschool children’s classes as efficiently as possible. The teacher will be required to be intelligible, clear, expressive in presenting the material, visual, and use special exercises to develop attention. Highlighting letters, coloring, finding errors and other techniques are effective. Involving preschoolers in new activities, guidance and guidance from adults will gradually help the child master the ability to manage attention independently.

In the formation of voluntary attention, an important role is given to the development of persistent pursuit of a goal, willpower and determination. An equally important role is played by games that require you to follow certain rules. Such games develop character, will, independence, determination and activity.

In the next article we will talk about the development of voluntary attention, consider several games for the development of voluntary attention, and also dwell in more detail on the types of violations and methods of correcting a child’s voluntary attention.

Regular classes and training always bring tangible results. It’s never too late to develop volume, concentration, stability, and switchability of attention! This can be done daily and with pleasure, with the help of games.

We wish you success in self-development!

Human attention - developmental features

23.03.2015

Snezhana Ivanova

Attention is a mental cognitive process aimed at reflecting mental properties, ensuring the concentration of consciousness.

Attention is a mental cognitive process aimed at reflecting the mental properties and states of an object, which ensures the concentration of consciousness. This focus on certain objects is selective and contributes to the formation of an individual attitude towards them.

As objects attention can come from both other persons and inanimate objects. Phenomena of nature, objects of art and science also often come to the attention of the subject. It must be admitted that only those objects that arouse significant interest in him or are conditioned by a social need for study fall into the zone of a person’s attention. The development of attention directly depends on such factors as a person’s age, the purposefulness of his aspirations, interest in the subject or phenomenon being studied, and the regularity of performing special exercises.

Types of attention

Involuntary attention

Characterized by a lack of conscious human choice. Occurs when an influencing stimulus appears, which forces you to momentarily take a break from everyday affairs and switch your mental energy. This type of attention is difficult to manage, since it is directly related to the internal attitudes of the individual. In other words, we are always attracted only by what is of significant interest, what excites and makes our feelings and emotional sphere “stir.”

Objects of involuntary attention can be: unexpected noise on the street or indoors, a new person or phenomenon that appears before your eyes, any moving objects, a person’s mental state, individual mood.

Involuntary attention is valuable for its spontaneity and naturalness of occurrence, which always ensures a lively emotional response. But, at the same time, it can distract a person from performing pressing tasks and solving significant problems.

As a rule, involuntary attention predominates in preschool children. Teachers of children's institutions, of course, will agree that you can attract their attention only with bright, interesting images and events. That is why kindergarten classes are so replete with beautiful characters, attractive tasks, and huge scope for imagination and creativity.

Voluntary attention

Characterized by consciously maintaining concentration on an object. Voluntary attention begins when motivation appears, that is, a person understands and consciously concentrates his attention on something. Stability and perseverance are its integral attributes. In order for the necessary action to be carried out, the individual is required to make a volitional effort, come into a state of tension, and intensify mental activity.

For example, a student before an exam tries his best to focus on the material being studied. And even if he is not entirely interested in what he has to tell the teacher, his attention is maintained through serious motivation. The need to finish the semester and come home as quickly as possible sometimes adds a powerful incentive to push yourself a little harder and put aside all entertainment and trips.

However, it should be remembered that prolonged concentration of voluntary attention leads to a state of fatigue, even severe fatigue. Therefore, it is recommended to take reasonable breaks between serious intellectual work: go outside to breathe fresh air, do simple physical exercises, and exercises. But there is no need to read books on abstract topics: your head will not have time to rest, and in addition, the presence of unnecessary information can provoke further reluctance to return to business. It has been noticed that strong interest stimulates activity and activates the brain, and this can and should be achieved.

Post-voluntary attention

It is characterized by the absence of tension in the subject of activity when performing a task. In this case, the motivation and desire to achieve a specific goal are quite strong. This type of attention differs from the previous one in that internal motivation prevails over external motivation. That is, a person and his consciousness are guided not by social necessity, but by an individual need for action. Such attention has a very productive effect on any activity and produces significant results.

Basic properties of attention

The properties of attention in psychology are a number of significant characteristics that are closely related to the components of a person’s activity.

• Concentration is a deliberate focus on the object of activity. Maintaining attention occurs due to the subject’s strong motivation and desire to perform the action as best as possible. The intensity of concentration on the subject of interest is guided by the consciousness of the individual. If the concentration is high enough, the result will not be long in coming. On average, a person can focus attention for 30 to 40 minutes without a break, but a lot can be done during this time. It should be remembered that when working at a computer, you should take short breaks of 5 to 10 minutes to rest your eyes.
• Volume- this is the number of objects that consciousness can keep simultaneously in its field of vision. In other words, volume is measured in the mutual relationship of objects and the degree of stability of attention on them. If a person is able to maintain concentration on objects for a sufficiently long time and their number is large, then we can talk about a high volume of attention.
• Sustainability. Stability is the ability to maintain attention on one object for a long time and not switch to another. If a distraction occurs, they usually talk about lability. Stability of attention is characterized by the ability to discover new things in familiar things: to discover relationships and aspects that were not previously noticed or studied, to see prospects for further development and movement.
• Switchability. Switchability is a meaningful, purposeful change in the direction of the focus of attention. This property is characterized by being conditioned by external circumstances or phenomena. If the switching of attention does not occur under the influence of a more significant object and is not particularly intentional, then they speak of simple distractibility. It must be admitted that it can be difficult to switch attention from one object to another due to strong concentration. Then it even happens that a person moves on to another activity, but mentally continues to concentrate on the previous one: he thinks about the details, analyzes, and worries emotionally. Switching attention is needed to relax after intense mental work and to engage in new activities.
• Distribution. Distribution is the ability of consciousness to simultaneously concentrate attention on several objects that are in approximately the same position in terms of importance. The relationship between objects certainly influences how this distribution occurs: the transition from one object to another. At the same time, the individual often experiences a state of fatigue caused by the need to constantly remember other existing ones while being at one point of focus.

Features of attention development

The development of human attention is necessarily associated with the ability to concentrate on one or several objects for a certain period of time without any distraction. This is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. After all, in order to concentrate on something, you need to be sufficiently interested in your business. Thus, for the development of involuntary attention, all that is required is an interesting object on which to focus the gaze. Voluntary attention requires a serious approach: you need purposeful action, volitional effort, and the ability to manage your feelings in order to prevent distraction at the most inopportune moment. Post-voluntary attention is the most productive of all, since it does not require overcoming or additional effort.

Methods for developing attention

Today there are a variety of methods for developing attention that allow you to achieve high results and learn how to manage attention.

Development of concentration

It is recommended to choose an object for observation and try to focus your attention on it for a certain period of time. Moreover, the simpler this item is, the better. For example, you can put a book on the table and imagine what it is written about, what the main characters are. One can only think of a book as an object made of paper and cardboard, and imagine how many trees it took to make it. In the end, you can simply pay attention to its color and shape. Which direction to choose is up to you. This exercise perfectly trains the focus of attention itself, allowing you to develop the duration of concentration on one object.

If you wish, you can try to practice holding two or more objects in your field of vision. Then, to all of the above, it is necessary to add the development of the ability to switch attention from one object to another, remembering and noting the significant features of each of them.

Development of visual attention

Exercises should be aimed at expanding the individual's ability to focus on an object. For example, you can put an object in front of you and set yourself the task of looking at it for 3 to 5 minutes, highlighting as many details as possible. First, you will begin to develop a general idea of ​​the object: its color and shape, size and height. However, gradually, the more you concentrate, the more clearly new details will begin to appear: small details, minor devices, etc. They are also a must see and note to yourself.

Development of auditory attention

To improve this type of attention, you need to set yourself a goal of concentrating on the sound of the voice for no more than ten minutes. It is best if this is meaningful human speech, however, if you want to relax, you can include birdsong or any melody that meets the requirements of relaxing music.

If human speech is heard, while listening, it is important to note to yourself the speed with which the lecturer speaks, the degree of emotionality in the presentation of the material, and the subjective usefulness of the information. It is also quite acceptable to listen to recorded fairy tales and stories, and then try to remember and reproduce their content. When listening to music, it is important to capture the vibration levels of the sound wave, try to “connect” to the emotions being reproduced and imagine the details of something.

How to manage attention?

Many people who want to improve their attention levels face constant difficulties. Some people may have trouble concentrating on details, while others have difficulty taking in the whole subject. In this case, I would like to advise you to train at different facilities in all areas and do it every day. Agree, it’s not difficult to devote 5–10 minutes a day to working on yourself.

Thus, the problems of attention development are quite multifaceted and deep. This type of cognitive processes cannot be considered only as a component of activity. We must also remember that we always need attention in everyday life, therefore it is important to be able to focus on simple things and notice even small details.

Psychology. Textbook for high school. Teplov B. M.

§23. Involuntary and voluntary attention

When a person watches an interesting film at the cinema, attention is directed to the screen without any effort on his part. When, while walking down the street, he suddenly hears the sharp whistle of a policeman close to him, he “involuntarily” pays attention to it. This is involuntary attention directed to a given object without our conscious intention and without any effort on our part.

With involuntary attention, the appearance of an area with optimal excitability in the cerebral cortex is caused by directly acting stimuli.

But when a person has to tear himself away from an interesting book and do some necessary work that doesn’t captivate him at the moment, for example, learning foreign words, he has to make an effort to direct his attention in this direction, and, perhaps, make even more effort to in order not to allow attention to be distracted, in order to maintain attention on this work. If I want to read a serious book, and there is loud talking and laughter in the room, I have to force myself to be attentive to reading and not pay attention to the conversations. This kind of attention is called voluntary. It differs in that a person sets himself a conscious goal to direct attention to a certain object and, when necessary, applies certain efforts and efforts to achieve this goal.

With voluntary attention, the area with optimal excitability is supported by signals coming from the second signaling system. A conscious goal, intention is always expressed in words, most often pronounced to oneself (the so-called “inner speech”). Due to temporary connections formed in past experience, these speech signals can determine the movement of the area with optimal excitability along the cortex.

The ability to voluntarily direct and maintain attention has developed in a person in the process of work, since without this ability it is impossible to carry out long-term and systematic work activities. In any business, no matter how much a person loves it, there are always such aspects, such labor operations, which in themselves have nothing interesting and are not capable of attracting attention to themselves.

You must be able to voluntarily focus your attention on these operations; you must be able to force yourself to be attentive to what is not currently attracting attention. A good worker is a person who can always focus his attention on what is necessary in the course of work.

The power of a person’s voluntary attention can be very great. Experienced artists, lecturers, and orators know well how difficult it can be to start playing, giving a speech, or giving a lecture when you have a severe headache. It seems that with such pain it will be impossible to complete the performance. However, as soon as you force yourself to start and concentrate on the content of a lecture, report or role, by an effort of will, the pain is forgotten and reminds itself again only after the end of the speech.

What objects are capable of attracting our involuntary attention? In other words: what are the causes of involuntary attention?

These reasons are very numerous and varied and can be divided into two categories: firstly, the external features of the objects themselves and, secondly, the interest of these objects for a given person.

Any very strong stimulus usually attracts attention. A strong clap of thunder will attract the attention of even a very busy person. What is decisive here is not so much the absolute strength of the stimulus as its relative strength compared to other stimuli. In a noisy factory floor, a person’s voice may go unnoticed, while in the complete silence of the night, even a faint creak or rustle can attract attention.

A sudden and unusual change also attracts attention. For example, if in a classroom an old wall newspaper is removed from the wall, which has been hanging for a long time and has already ceased to attract attention, then its absence in its usual place will at first attract attention.

The main role in attracting involuntary attention is played by the interest of an object for a given person. What is interesting?

First of all, what is closely connected with a person’s life activity and the tasks facing him, with the work in which he is passionate, with the thoughts and concerns that this work arouses in him. A person, captivated by some business or some idea, is interested in everything that is connected with this business or this idea, and, therefore, pays attention to all this. A scientist working on a problem will immediately pay attention to a seemingly small detail that escapes the attention of another person. One of the major Soviet inventors says about himself: “I am interested in the principles of all machines. I’m riding a tram and looking out the window at how the car goes, how it turns (then I was thinking about controls for the cultivator). I look at all the machines, for example the fire escape, and I see that that too can be used.”

Of course, people are interested not only in what is directly related to the main business of their lives. We read books, listen to lectures, watch plays and films that have no direct connection with our work. What is required for them to interest us?

First, they must be in some way related to the knowledge we already have; their subject should not be completely unknown to us. It is unlikely that a person who has never studied the physics of sound and understands nothing about metal technology can be interested in a lecture on the topic “The use of ultrasound in metallurgy.”

Secondly, they must give us some new knowledge, contain something still unknown to us. A popular lecture on the just named topic will not be of interest to an ultrasound specialist, since its content is known to him in its entirety.

The main thing that is interesting is that it gives new information about things with which we are already familiar, and especially that which gives answers to questions that we already have. What is interesting is what we don’t know yet, but what we already want to know. The plots of interesting, fascinating novels are usually built on this principle. The author tells the story in such a way that we are faced with a number of questions (who committed such and such an act? What happened to the hero?), and we constantly expect to receive an answer to them. Therefore, our attention is in constant tension.

Interest is the most important source of involuntary attention. Interesting things captivate and capture our attention. But it would be completely wrong to think that voluntary attention has nothing to do with interest. It is also guided by interests, but interests of a different kind.

If a fascinating book captures the reader’s attention, then there is a direct interest, an interest in the book itself, in its content. But if a person, having set out to build a model of some apparatus, makes long and complex calculations for this, what interest is he guided by? He has no immediate interest in the calculations themselves. He is interested in the model, and calculations are only a means to build it. In this case, a person is guided by indirect, or, what is the same, mediated interest.

This kind of indirect interest, interest in the result, is present in almost all work that we carry out consciously and voluntarily; otherwise we wouldn't produce it. It's enough to get you started. But since the work itself is uninteresting and does not captivate us, we must make an effort to focus our attention on it. The less the process of work itself interests and captivates us, the more necessary is voluntary attention. Otherwise, we will never achieve the result that interests us.

It happens, however, that the work that we first took up as a result of some indirect interest and in which we first had to voluntarily, with great effort, maintain attention, gradually begins to interest us. A direct interest in the work arises, and attention begins to involuntarily focus on it. This is a normal flow of attention in the work process. With the help of voluntary efforts alone, without any direct interest in the activity itself, it is impossible to work successfully for a long time, just as it is impossible to carry out long-term work on the basis of direct interest and involuntary attention alone; from time to time the intervention of voluntary attention is necessary, since due to fatigue, the boring monotony of individual stages, and all kinds of distracting impressions, involuntary attention will be weakened. So, doing any work requires participation and voluntary and involuntary attention, constantly alternating them.

As a result, we can say: the tasks that life and the activities in which we are engaged are of central importance in the organization of attention. Based on these tasks, we consciously direct our voluntary attention, and these same tasks determine our interests - the main drivers of involuntary attention.

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Arbitrariness of attention.

The third category by which attention is divided into two types is voluntariness. This is one of the most important qualities of attention, so we will pay special attention to it. There are two types of attention - voluntary and involuntary. In addition to the above, N.F. Dobrynin also identified a third type - post-voluntary attention.

Table 1

Involuntary attention- a type of attention that is not associated with the participation of the will.

The focus of mental activity on certain objects or phenomena can arise unintentionally, involuntarily, due to the very characteristics of the stimuli affecting a person (objects and phenomena of reality). Thus, the attention that arises is accordingly called unintentional, involuntary.

The source of involuntary attention is also changes, “fluctuations” in the environment, the appearance of some previously absent stimulus, or any change in the stimuli currently in effect.

The simplest and initial form of involuntary attention is the orienting reflex, those orienting movements that are caused by a change in the environment and through which the perceptive apparatus is established in such a way that the best reflection of the stimulus under given conditions is achieved.

Involuntary attention is attracted, however, not by any changes in the environment. Other stimuli acting at the moment can inhibit the orienting reflex. In order for a new stimulus to become an object of attention, it must have certain features that would facilitate its isolation from everything that affects a person at the moment.

The characteristics of stimuli that evoke attention include, first of all, the strength of the stimulus. Strong stimuli: bright light and colors, loud sounds, pungent smells - easily attract attention, since according to the law of force, the stronger the stimulus, the greater the excitement caused by it, and, consequently, the conditioned reflex to it. And this, in turn, entails an increase in the negative induction caused by this excitation, i.e. increased inhibition in other areas of the cerebral cortex. Of great importance is not only the absolute, but also the relative strength of irritation, that is, the ratio of irritation in strength to other irritants that constitute, as it were, the background against which it appears. Even a strong stimulus may not attract attention if it is given against the background of other strong stimuli. In the street noise of a big city, individual, even strong, sounds do not attract attention, although they will easily attract attention if they are heard at night in silence. On the other hand, the weakest stimuli become the object of attention if they are given against the background of the complete absence of other stimuli: the slightest rustle in complete silence around, a very weak light in the dark, etc.

In all these cases, the decisive factor is the contrast between the stimuli. It plays a very important role in attracting involuntary attention. And this applies not only to the strength of the stimuli, but also to their other features. For any significant difference - in shape, size, color, duration of action, etc. - the person pays attention. A small object stands out more easily from large ones; long sound - among abrupt, short sounds; colored circle - among circles painted in a different color. The number attracts attention among the letters; foreign word - if it is in the Russian text; triangle - when it is drawn among squares. Attention is attracted, although usually not for long, by repeated changes in stimuli that systematically follow each other: such as, for example, periodic intensification or weakening of sound, light, etc. The movement of objects works in a similar way.

An important source of involuntary attention is the novelty of objects and phenomena. New things easily become the subject of attention. Everything is formulaic, stereotypical, and does not attract attention. The new serves as an object of attention, however, to the extent that it can be understood or encourages comprehension. And for this it must find support in past experience. If this is not the case, the new does not attract attention for long. The unconditioned orienting reflex fades away soon. In order for attention to be long-lasting, conditioned orienting reactions are necessary, a whole chain of them, which is possible only when in new objects and phenomena, in addition to the new, there is also something with which temporary connections have already been formed, i.e. something that is already associated with something known. Of great importance in this regard is the presence of knowledge, a person’s awareness in the area to which the object he perceives belongs, as well as the habit of noticing certain objects and phenomena (to which an inexperienced person will not pay attention).

Caused by external stimuli, involuntary attention is significantly determined by the state of the person himself. The same objects or phenomena may or may not attract attention, depending on the state of the person at the moment. An important role is played, first of all, by the needs and interests of people, their attitude towards what affects them. Everything that is connected with the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of needs (both organic, material, and spiritual, cultural), everything that corresponds to interests, to which there is a certain, clearly expressed and especially emotional attitude - all this easily becomes the object of involuntary attention.

A person’s mood plays a significant role, which to a large extent determines what will attract attention from everything influencing at the moment.

Fatigue, or vice versa, the cheerful state in which a person is, is also essential. It is well known that in a state of severe fatigue, things that easily attract attention in a cheerful state are often not noticed.

Different from involuntary attention is voluntary attention, which is an arbitrarily, deliberately caused focus of mental activity on certain objects or phenomena (or their properties, qualities, states). Voluntary attention- a type of attention that necessarily includes volitional regulation.

This higher type of attention arose in the process of activity. In his activity, a person achieves a certain result, which usually subsequently receives public evaluation and is used by other people. In cases where voluntarily evoked attention is not distracted by anything extraneous that interferes with the performance of the activity, it is retained without much effort. In many cases, however, such unhindered preservation of voluntary attention is, due to the action of extraneous stimuli, impossible and sometimes requires very significant efforts and special measures.

Distracting stimuli (extraneous sounds, visual stimuli that distract us) are also some states of the body (illness, fatigue, etc.), as well as extraneous thoughts, images, feelings. To overcome this obstacle, special actions are required to keep attention on what is required by the task of the activity. Sometimes there is a need to destroy or at least weaken the effect of extraneous external stimuli: remove distracting objects, reduce the strength of sounds, etc. Often, everything that interferes with work is eliminated in advance, the workplace is put in order in advance, everything that is needed for work is prepared, the necessary lighting conditions are created, measures are taken to ensure silence, to maintain a comfortable posture while working, etc. The creation of familiar working conditions plays an important role. Their presence, the absence of anything new that a person is not yet accustomed to, greatly facilitates his ability to maintain attention on the activity being performed and is one of the essential prerequisites promoting attention.

However, the presence of favorable external conditions does not always ensure attention.

An important condition for attention is the meaning of the task of the activity being performed, the place it occupies in a person’s life, an understanding of what its implementation and non-fulfillment entails, therefore it is advisable to carry it out. The more important this task is, the clearer its meaning is, the stronger the desire to complete it, the more attention is drawn to everything that is needed to successfully complete this task.

The role of interest is great, and especially the importance of stable interests of the individual. At the same time, the connection with interests during voluntary attention turns out to be indirect. This means that the immediate result of an activity, as well as the activity itself, may be uninteresting, but what they will lead to in the future may, on the contrary, be of great interest, and this will have a significant positive impact on the performance of the activity and will encourage one to be attentive.

Thus, the consciousness of the need to perform a given activity, an understanding of its significance, the desire to achieve the best results, the connection of what is being done with the interests of the person - all this contributes to voluntary attention. However, in order for all this to attract attention, some special actions are needed to ensure it.

In many cases, a significant role is played by reminding oneself that one must be attentive, especially if it is done at critical moments of activity that require increased attention. Such a reminder can be organized in advance by what the person envisages that should serve as a signal for maximum attention.

Significant support is provided by asking questions, the answer to which requires a careful perception of what determines the success of actions. Such questions are needed when conducting any observations, especially when you have to get acquainted with a large number of objects or with any complex phenomena and processes. It is very important to combine the posing of such questions with the awareness of what has already been done (a certain word has been written, such and such an arithmetic example has been solved, such and such a line has been drawn, etc.). It is of great help to realize what is being done, as well as to remember the requirements that this action must satisfy.

All of these ways of promoting voluntary attention are, to one degree or another, related to words, are carried out in verbal form, and require the participation of a second signaling system. This is one of the characteristic features of voluntary attention, as well as any conscious and voluntary activity of people.

An important role (in cases where intellectual activity is performed) is played by its combination with external, practical action.

An important point follows from this: in order to maintain attention on something, it is desirable that what it should be held on be made the object of practical actions that would serve as a support for intellectual activity that requires attention to this subject. Everything that has been said about the conditions of voluntary attention reveals its dependence on the organization of activity. To achieve voluntary attention to what it should be directed to means organizing activity in such a way as to ensure the best reflection of the objects of action under the given conditions, corresponding to the task.

Often such organization of activities requires significant effort from us. Sometimes it is carried out easily, as something familiar (as soon as we find ourselves in conditions in which it has already been achieved more than once). Essential for all cases of voluntary attention, however, remains the intentional organization of activity. It is precisely this that characterizes voluntary attention.

The famous statement that genius is 90% of work and 10% of abilities is based precisely on the fact that any significant works of science and art are created not only and not so much on inspiration, but on voluntarily retained attention, contrary to other incentives that involuntarily distract from work : entertainment, leisure, etc.

Both types of attention - involuntary and voluntary - cannot be strictly differentiated from each other. There are a number of intermediate forms, when intentional focus on certain objects is expressed to a weak degree, although it is not completely absent. Transitions from one type of attention to another also occur. Voluntary attention often turns into involuntary attention. This happens when, when performing any activity, at first, due to a lack of interest in it, a conscious, intentional focus (in many cases even a volitional effort) to perform it is required, but then, as interest in what is being done arises , a person continues to be attentive to work without any special intention and, even more so, without any effort.

There are also reverse transitions: involuntary attention weakens or stops altogether, while the performance of the activity requires that the person continue to be attentive. In these cases, keeping attention on what previously attracted it in itself is done intentionally, voluntarily.