What do disorders of attention tell of the brain’s usual attentional strategies?
Attention is a deeper process than simply noticing incoming stimuli, it involves a number of processes including filtering perceptions, balancing multiple perceptions and attaching emotional significance to the perceptions (Ratey, 2001). There are two forms of attention, passive and active. Passive attention is the involuntary processes which are directed by the environment and external events e.g. a loud noise. Active attention is the voluntary process which is guided by alertness and concentration e.g. curiosity (Gaddes, 1994). It is a cognitive ability to select and focus on certain factors and the ability to inhibit an action while previewing alternative actions. This is also known as preattentive as the process happens without any conscious awareness (Neisser, 1967). An example of this would be during a conversation, if an individual’s name is mentioned their attention is instantly diverted. Active attention is described as a complex process that includes alertness and arousal, this allows for the planning and monitoring of thoughts and actions. Attention is often described as the first step in the learning process, this is because if something is not attended to then there is no ability to understand or learn it. There is much research into the conceptual framework for this including the process and what happens to students when breakdowns in this process occur (Levine, 1998). Attention is often linked with alertness as the basic mental tone, where each of these factors have a role. Alertness is a state of conscious awareness, which includes a spectrum of alertness through to unconsciousness. An individual’s level of consciousness will vary th...
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...gulate, control and manage daily tasks (Brown, 2008). Some of these impairments include excessive procrastination, concentration problems, regulating emotions and time keeping. This criteria for an executive function deficit are met in thirty to fifty percent of cases with ADHD (Lambek et al., 2010). One study found that with eighty percent of individuals with ADHD were impaired with at least one executive function, compared to fifty percent for those without ADHD (Nigg et al., 2005). Due to the rates of brain maturation and the increasing demands for executive control as a person get older, the ADHD impairments may not fully manifest themselves. From these example of attentional disorders it shows that there are obvious differences in the attentional strategies of the brain, due to the difference in brain pathology and how the individuals deal with everyday tasks.
Some of the most common words moving around in the psychiatric circle are attention Deficit; hyperactivity; Ritalin; ADD, ADHD. These words are being most commonly discussed by most educators, physicians, psychologists and young parents in the society today. In spite of extensive advancements in technology which has brought new insights into the brain and learning, there is still a lacuna in the field of problems faced by children who are unable to remain focused on the task given to them in the classroom owing to their inability to pay attention.
Processing capacity is a very broad and flexible category according to many researchers. In fact, the quote above mentioned suggests that we often fail to notice things that happen just in front of us (unexpected events that are often salient) either because we were completely absorbed by something else or because we had so many things to do at the same time that we couldn’t pay attention to it. We have all at least once failed to see a friend who was waving at us while eating in the cafeteria or walking in a crowded street. The primary question that we should ask ourselves is: how many things can we attend at the same time? The truth is that we didn’t perceive this friend because of a phenomenon called “inattentional blindness”. The problem is that the richness of our visual experience leads us to believe that our visual representation will include and preserve the same amount of detail (Levin et al 2000). In this paper we’ll see the different theories of inattentional blindness, and the classical theories demonstrating this paradigm.
Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders. 2005. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Second Encyclopedia.com. The World of War II. 17 May. 2012 http://www.encyclopedia.com Zieman, Gayle and Dewan, Naakeesh A. “Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adults”. Relay Clinical Education -.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), once called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, is one of the most common mental disorders among children. (Elia, Ambrosini, Rapoport, 1999) It affects 3 to 5 percent of all children, with approximately 60% to 80% of these children experiencing persistence of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood, causing a lifetime of frustrated dreams and emotional pain. There are two types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an inattentive type and a combined type. The symptoms of ADHD can be classified into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. This behaviour stops ADHD sufferers from focussing deliberately on organising and completing a specific task that they may not enjoy, learning new skills or information is proved to be impossible. An example of such behaviour is recognised by the report written by the National Institute of Mental Health where one of the subjects under study was unable to pass schooling examinations due to her inattentive behaviour. Such behaviour can damage the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem. (National Institute of Mental Health 1999) There are also secondary symptoms which are associated with ADHD, such as learning disorders, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders, tic disorders, and conduct disorders. (Spencer, Biederman, and Wilens 1999 in Monastra V, Monastra D, George, 2002)
ADHD is a disorder that has been on the rise for several years now. The disorder is one that can cause many impairments to a child’s attention span, making it difficult to concentrate and to keep on task, especially on schoolwork. (Graham, 2007) The statistics have been growing ...
ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. American Psychiatric Association has identified three subtypes of ADHD including Combined Type (Both inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms), Predominantly Inattentive Type (Inattention, but not enough hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms), Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type (Hyperactivity-impulsivity, but not enough inattention symptoms). ADHD affects 8-10% of school-aged children. Research indicates the frontal lobe (basal ganglia, caudate nucleus, cerebellum, and other areas) plays a significant role in ADHD because they are involved in complex processes that regulate behavior. These higher order processes are often called executive functions. Executive functions include processes like inhibition, working memory, planning, self-monitoring, verbal regulation, motor control, maintaining, and changing mental set and emotional regulation. A person with ADHD often feels like they have information bouncing around in the brain. There are many different things poppin...
The purpose of this research was to describe and understand Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the most effective treatment options that are available today. ADHD is a mental health disorder that affects 3-9% of the population in ways that, if left untreated, can wreak havoc on the mind of the sufferer. It makes concentration difficult, large tasks seem insurmountable, and causes impulsive and hyperactive tendencies. Fortunately, research and experiments have led to new and effective treatments to help those who suffer from this disorder (Dupaul 8). This research examined journal articles and internet sources on the topic to help unlock the complexities of the disorder through scientific research. It also was a way to separate the myths of the disorder from the truths, while discovering the causes, diagnosis methods, and best treatment alternatives to battle this prevalent disorder.
The case of children having trouble with focusing or behaving at particular stages in their childhood is considered as normal. However, those children with ADHD never grow to ...
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is very commonly known. Today, ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders among children. The NIMH (The national institute of mental health) predicts that it affecting 3 to 5 percent of all children(AACAP), with an approximate amount of 30% to 65% of these children experiencing persistence of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood (AACAP).There are three types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, Predominantly Inattentive Type, and Combination Type(ehow.com). The symptoms of ADHD can be classified into three main categories; hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. These behaviors can interfere with ADHD sufferers’ ability to focus deliberately on organizing and completing a specific task that they may not enjoy. A case of this kind of behavior is recognized in a report written by the National Institute of Mental Health where one of the subjects under study was unable to pass schooling examinations due to her inattentive behavior (clinicaltrials.gov) These kinds of behaviors can damage the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem, depending on severity of their symptoms (adhd.com). In this paper, the multiple factors of how ADHD affects, and is handled, of those who undergo this disorder, are shown.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(5): 182-186. Styles, E. A. & Co. a. The adage of the ad The Psychology of Attention. 2nd Edition.
Emotion and cognition are intricately intertwined and hard to tell which is influencing us in our everyday lives. While the former are sometimes referred to as feelings and affects (this term would be used interchangeably with emotion in this article) or “hot cognition”, the latter is often thought as our reasoning, or “cold cognition” (Zajonc, 1980). However, it is quite evident from our day-to-day account of events that it’s always the emotional parts of life that catch our attention - especially the bad ones. For one thing, as a general phenomenon, bad news is considered more newsworthy and can easily attract more reader attention (Baumeister,
One of the most difficult situations that teachers find themselves is ensuring that students pay maximum attention during classes. According to researchers, maintaining focus is one of the important aspects of successful learning. Researchers say that environment plays a huge role in the way kids pay attention while in class. There is a strong link between kids’ cognitive skills and the attention they pay during classrooms. Off-task behaviors also contribute hugely to this problem of losing attention during class time. Observers argue that they end up having negative impact on kids’ learning( Rainwater & Rainwater, 2008).
An analysis of factors that determine the allocation of attention was composed by Khaneman (1973) in which cognitive systems were formed and held responsible for allocating cogniti...
Attention is defined as “notice taken of someone or something; the regarding of someone or something as interesting or important”.
Attention refers to the state of applying the mind into specific information currently seen in our surroundings. W. James defines attention as the clasp possession of the mind which can do several coincidentally possible objects or train of thoughts. It also suggests recession from some things in order to handle with others effectively (Cherry, n.d.).