Mindfulness and its types in psychology. Distinguish between voluntary, involuntary and post-voluntary attention Causes of involuntary attention

Involuntary attention- this is attention that arises without any human intention, without a predetermined goal, and does not require volitional efforts.

There is a complex set of reasons that cause involuntary attention. These reasons can be divided into different groups.

1. Features of the stimulus itself.

2. The degree of intensity of the stimulus. Any sufficiently strong irritant - a loud sound, bright light, a pungent smell - involuntarily attracts our attention. Moreover, not only the absolute, but also the relative strength of the stimulus is important (our attention will be attracted by a slight rustle in complete silence, and the light of a match in the dark).

3. Novelty, unusualness of the stimulus. Novelty is one of the most important features stimuli that awaken involuntary attention. Any new irritation, as noted by I.P. Pavlov, if it has sufficient intensity, causes indicative reaction. A distinction is made between absolute novelty (in this case, the stimulus has never been present in our experience before) and relative novelty - an unusual combination of known stimuli.

4. Weakening the effect of the stimulus and stopping its action: beacons, car direction indicators.

5. Object mobility: moving objects.

6. Matching external stimuli internal state organism or personality, i.e. needs.

7. Interests: one person will pass by and not notice a catchy poster about football match, and another will pay attention to a modest announcement about the upcoming concert; a hungry person will involuntarily pay attention to everything related to food.

8. Feelings: it is well known that any irritation that causes one or another feeling attracts attention. It’s called emotional attention.

9. Expectation: often it allows one to perceive even what under other circumstances a person does not notice at all.

10. Apperception - the influence of previous experience, knowledge, ideas. Even a weak stimulus will attract the attention of a person who knows what is being said, while an ignorant person will simply not notice anything.

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. Usually, a whole complex of reasons contributes to the emergence of involuntary attention. This complex includes various physical, psychophysiological and mental causes. They are interrelated, but can be roughly divided into four categories.

Unlike involuntary attention, the main feature voluntary attention is that it is driven by a conscious purpose.

But, unlike truly involuntary attention, post-voluntary 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.

Human attention - developmental features

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 may include: unexpected noise on the street or indoors, new person or a phenomenon that appeared before the 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, between serious intellectual work It is recommended to take reasonable breaks: go outside to breathe fresh air, do simple physical exercises, exercise. 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 capable enough for a long time maintain concentration on objects 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. At first it will begin to develop for you general idea about 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 detect vibration levels sound wave, try to “connect” to the reproduced emotions 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 cannot be considered cognitive processes only as part of the 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, notice even small details.

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.

Cheat sheet on general psychology Yulia Mikhailovna Voitina

57. INVOLVED ATTENTION

57. INVOLVED ATTENTION