Course Name: Childhood and Growing Up

Course code: 1.1.1. 2nd half

Unit -III
Attention
Attention is a cognitive process that involves selectively focusing mental resources on specific
stimuli or tasks while ignoring others. It enables individuals to allocate their limited cognitive
capacity to relevant information, filter out distractions, and regulate their awareness and
responsiveness to the environment.

Attention

Vocational Non-vocational Habitual

Implicit Explicit Enforced Spontaneous

We can divide the determinants of attention into two categories – subjective or internal
and objective or external.

1. Subjective or internal

No characteristics of the person who is paying attention are concerned here. The point here
is that the object or stimulus to which attention is directed is the property of the stimulus
called the external or individual neutral condition. They are-

* Intensity – The intensity of the stimulus is more likely to attract attention, for example, bright
lights or loud noises easily attract our attention.

• Size or Extensity – Big things attract our attention easily.

* Repetition – Repeated presence of a stimulus attracts our attention. For example, a knock on
the door may not attract attention, but repeated knocks will attract attention. • Change - A
sudden change easily attracts attention. In one class everyone came in school uniform, but only
one did not. It will easily attract attention.

• Novelty (Novelty) - If something is new or novel, we easily pay attention to it.

* Contrast - Contrast draws attention. For example, among all normal text, bold text attracts
our attention.

(2) Objective /external

Some of the individual's characteristics also act as determinants of attention. such as

* Instinct – We often pay attention to an object because of instinct. For example, when you are
hungry, you focus on food. This is called enforced attention.

* Emotion, Sentiment and Temperament – These are determinants of spontaneous attention.

* Interest - When we are interested in something, we easily pay attention to it. A person who is
interested in sports, is attracted when he finds the sports channel on TV scrolling through the
channels or sports news in the newspaper grabs his attention first.

* Mind set- If a person makes up his mind beforehand i.e. decides in his mind that he will pay
attention, then the intensity of attention increases. As someone says today there is 'Argentina-
France' game, I will watch it carefully. In this case, the tendency to pay attention will increase.

Determination of attention and their classroom application (Determination of attention

and classroom application):
Strategies for gaining and maintaining students' attention and the role of a teacher: Attention
is a very important element for learning. So the teacher must take some steps to attract the
student's attention. Some of the strategies are discussed below-

i. The teacher will use any cues that make the student understand that the teacher is
asking him to pay attention. For example, going silent suddenly or tapping the table
with a duster or chalk etc.
ii. When the teacher discusses the content, he should try to avoid distractors as much
as possible. For example, switching off the mobile phone.
iii. Teacher will give short but clear instructions before learning.
 iv. Before learning the learning, objectives will be discussed by the teacher and
explained to the students.
v. Teaching new content by making it similar to the student's old concepts improves
attention.

vi. During learning, the teacher will ask some questions to arouse the curiosity of the
students.
vii. Using different types of teaching aids (Teaching Aids) changes the learning
process, thereby attracting attention.
viii. If the teacher can introduce some novelty in the learning process, then it is beneficial
to attract attention.
ix. Calling the student's name quickly grabs attention.
x. Involving students in various school activities (cultural events, pujas etc.) creates
sentiments of students towards the school which helps in creating attention towards
the school.
xi. It is very effective if it creates spontaneous attention in the student. But in any case,
if not, try to force the student's
xii. The teacher's voice needs to be loud enough in the classroom. It should be ensured
that every student can hear the teacher's voice clearly, otherwise the students will
not concentrate on learning.
xiii. The teacher should make the writing on the blackboard large enough. Then
everyone will see it and focus on learning. The same applies to the use of teaching
lamps.

Interest:
The English equivalent of the word 'Interest', which means 'It matters' or 'it concerns'. That is,
things of interest are those of which we are aware or which involve our feelings. Different
psychologists have different theories on the definition of interest. For example-

* Bingham said- "An interest is a tendency to become absorbed in an experience and to

continue it." (An interest is a tendency that engages a person in an experience and keeps him
engaged in that activity.)

* According to Crow and Crow, "Interest may refer to the motivating force that impels us to
attend to a person, a thing, or an activity or it may be the effective experience that has been
stimulated by the activity itself." (Interest refers to a propulsive force that motivates people to
engage in a person, thing, or activity, or to gain experience by reacting to one's actions.

* James Drever said - "Interest is latent attention"

Nature and characteristics of Interest:

In the light of the above definition and other definitions, some characteristics or nature of
'interest' can be found. For example-

i. Interests are special types of emotional tendencies.

ii. Interest varies from person to person.
iii. It is a type of propulsive force.
iv. Interest can be either innate or acquired.
v. Interest is measurable.
vi. It helps to gain experience and engage in a task.
vii. It increases focus on work.

Types of Interest:

According to Walter Vispoel and James Austin (1995), 'interest' can be of two types.

* Personal Interest: This type of interest resides permanently in the individual. For example,
'interest' in knowing a person's game or song or history is Personal Interest.

* Situational Interest: This type of interest lasts for a very short period of time in the
individual. For example, interest in a lesson or a task in the classroom is situational interest

Interest can be of two types based on human tendency. For example-

* Natural Interest: Humans develop certain interests due to innate tendencies. For example,
children's interest in knowing unknown things, interest in toys.

* Acquired Interest: This type of interest is created by a person's inclination, sentiment, habit
of doing something. For example, interest in music, painting etc.