Attention Span

goldfish

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Our course text defines attention as, “the ability to focus on specific stimuli or locations” and selective attention as, “attending to one thing while ignoring others” (Goldstein, 2015 p. 86-87).  The world is full of information in which our brains have the capability to process, but there are limitations to how much we can understand at a time or processing capacity.  Selective attention is the way in which we choose stimuli from our environment for further processing and disregard other existing stimuli.  In doing this, we prioritize the stimuli we are exposed to by processing the relevant information and filtering out messages that are absent in higher-level characteristics.  However, in the lesson four commentary we also learned about the cocktail party phenomenon, which can occur in social settings where you may be focusing your attention on a conversation you are engaged in, but you hear someone across the room say your name and it also grabs your attention.  This means that we do not always filter out information that is not attended, especially when the information is extremely familiar or personal to us like our name. (Penn State, n.d.)

According to Psychology Today (n.d.), attention span is the amount of time we spend on a task before we start to lose our focus or “zone out.”  I completed an online attention span test and scored 36 out of 100, which means I have a short attention span. I have difficulty maintaining my focus on tasks when completing them, which is accurate. My results further state that people with short attention spans have a tendency to be disorganized, which is not accurate in my case. I also do not struggle with meeting most of my deadlines or paying bills on time, which is also typically characteristic of short attention span. However, I frequently run late to my appointments.  It is recommended that people who have an inability to pay attention for extended periods should consult with a psychologist to be evaluated for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). I have never been formally evaluated for ADD, but I do frequently zone out or day dream and I have a slight family history of the disorder. (Psychology Today, n.d.)

In the age of technology, more specifically our smart phones that keep us vehemently connected to the outside world, our attention span is shrinking.  According to a Canadian media consumption survey conducted by Microsoft, the average attention span is eight seconds. This number has decreased from twelve seconds in the year 2000.  This means that humans now have an attention span that is less than a goldfish!  The New York Times article, “The Eight-Second Attention Span,” defines attention span as, “the amount of concentrated time on a task without becoming distracted,” (Egan, 2016 para. 4).  According to Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, human attention will be a scarce commodity in the future. The article further suggests that our digital devices have in fact “rewired” our brains.  We use our smart phones during many of our daily tasks, especially during periods of waiting or downtime such as standing in line.  When we are using our cell phones to catch the score of last night’s game, see what’s going on in world news or engaging in social media, we are limited in the amount of other stimuli we can process in our environment, because we are distracted.  (Egan, 2016)

If you are concerned about our shrinking attention span, don’t worry too much.  Timothy Egan writes that all is not lost.  He has put together a plan for himself to address his shortening attention span that includes gardening and deep reading (Egan, 2016).  There are no scientific studies to support a correlation between these activities and attention span. The idea behind this is more to take a step away from technological devices and engage in tasks that stimulate brain activity or hobbies you find enjoyable.  Neuroscience most likely has other notions about methods to expand or preserve one’s attention span or processing capacity that are empirically supported.  However, in the meantime I suggest you find what works for you and try to limit excessive use of your smartphone.

 

References

Egan, T. (2016, January 22). The Eight-Second Attention Span. The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/opinion/the-eight-second-attention-span.html

Goldstein, E. B. (2015). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research, and everyday experience (4th ed.). Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Penn State World Campus (n.d.) Lesson 4: Attention. Retrieved October 16, 2016, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1804143/modules/items/21169306

Psychology Today (n.d.). Attention Span Test. Retrieved October 16, 2016, from http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/bin/transfer

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