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Divided attention: This paper will review the different aspects of divided attention. The first part defines and gives a brief description of the term. The second is a list of examples of the activities that are involved. The third section discusses the disorders that affect the ability. The paper then reviews how to assess the skill. The other area analyzes whether it is possible to improve it. It also mentions the theories that have been propounded. The appendix gives a definition of some of the technical terms used in this paper.
Introduction
[edit]Attention is the process where a person concentrates on a particular activity. It requires arousal of the organs responsible for sense and perception. Divided attention involves a person’s brain being able to react to two stimuli simultaneously. It also requires an individual to attend to the other demands of their environment. This concentration on two things at the same time means the mind can process data from several sources. The result is that one does multiple activities successfully. The benefit of this cognitive skill is to make our lives efficient. However, there is a limit on this ability to respond to the stimuli. There will be a decrease in quality of the actions once attention is divided. It means a person can end up doing a shoddy job[1] . This is defined as interference. It refers to the difficulty in reacting efficiently to two activities.
Examples
[edit]Student
[edit]In the academic field, it is usually important for a person to be able to use divided attention to their benefit. When a teacher is in class, there are three main activities a successful student has to perform. The first is listening to the lecturer and grasping the information. The second is to decide what notes to put down in their books. The third is reading what the teacher has written on the board. All these tasks are equally significant in the process of learning and attention. [2] .
Home
[edit]A person at home can perform numerous activities at the same time. Sometimes, an individual is on the phone while watching and listening to the TV. An individual could also be cooking one food while preparing the next dish. This involves use of divided attention to keep track of the tasks[3].
Disorders
[edit]There are several disorders that cause issues to a person’s brain. This makes it difficult to use divided attention. It could sometimes be a problem with the performance of the two activities simultaneously. In other circumstances, there are processes that the mind cannot attend to. Interference with an individual could change the tasks being undertaken. This alteration inhibits the ability to talk and drive at the same time[4]. This means any attempt to do both could result in an accident. The key factor is the individual being alert. This is referred to as arousal[5]. The comatose state is where the person is inattentive. Psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, ADHD usually affects the capability for divided attention[4]. This is because it changes the general nature of the mind’s attention. Other issues could include a brain injury caused by trauma or a stroke. They inhibit any attempt to undertake two tasks at the same time. The alteration depends on the components of the brain that have been affected. This means that any disorder that impacts the process of attention makes a person unable to divide it. Some of them include a restriction of the field of vision due to injury. This is referred to as contralateral heminegligence. Hypoprosexia is the individual being easily distracted[6]. Aprosexia is the difficulty in focusing on a task[7]. Hyperprosexia is where the mind can only fully concentrate on one activity[6]. The person can focus intensely on a particular issue.
Measurement
[edit]The main issue is how a person can determine the ability to use divided attention. In order to perform several tasks at the same time, different functions are involved. Sometimes it involves motor, perception and cognitive functions. The assessment could therefore aid a person in their places of work. In some professions such as doctor, driver and athlete, it is an ability that is essential. It enables the individual to understand the tasks they perform in context. The primary test is the Simultaneity Test[8] . In this method, the person is required to follow a pointer with a ball. There are also words displayed at the center of the screen which the person has to watch out for. The user has to make a sign when they notice that the text is similar to its color. Both activities have to be attended equally. It measures the ability to come up with tactics, change them and develop proper responses. At the same time, he has to balance the visual and motor skills[9].
Theories
[edit]The first theory by Kahneman suggests that attention is focused in one area. This means it can be divided according to the number of tasks to be performed. However, this simplification does not account for the different motor, cognitive and perceptive functions[10] . The second is the modality theory proposed by Gopher and Navon[11]. Sometimes two activities use the same aspect such as listening to the T.V and hearing a person talk. This makes it, particularly difficult to focus on one. The third is the resource concept. It suggests that the performance of activities can be automated. Once it is achieved, it is possible to dedicate fewer attention span to that action[12][13].
Improvement
Brain structure
[edit]There are many brain regions responsible for attention including The parietal lobe [14] ,The frontal lobe [15] , temporal lobe epilepsy [16] and cerebellum[17] Based on a recent study, the prefrontal–striatal pathways becomes abnormal in patients with ADHD. The study also showed that the the left deep frontal white matter diminishes significantly, which in turn illustrates the function of the frontal lobe in ADHD development. ADHD is associated with a significant drop in divided attention skills[15]. Based on the results of a recent study, there is a strong relationship between temporal lobe epilepsy and attention abilities[16]. Another study has showed that cerebellum not only plays a role in motor skills but also in cognitive skills. The study has also illustrated that any damage to cerebellar leads to a drop in attention tasks, which in turn manifests the importance of cerebellum in attention abilities[17].
Requirements
[edit]
It requires the help of a professional to assess the alteration of attention between the activities. The individual has to be consistent to achieve any change in attention. The recommended period is at least fifteen minutes a day. A person has to perform the training two or three days in a week. An example is participation in rehabilitation programs[4].
Explanation
[edit]Divided attention is a skill and can therefore be improved. This is through training in understanding what is involved. The key is to be able to manage the resources in the mind that a person uses. This enables a determination of how to balance the response to stimuli. It means that the individual can ultimately enhance their grasp of information. This is where a person can attend to different exercises. They are structured to develop cognitive abilities such as divided attention. This practice is important because it strengthens the connections in the neural pathways of the brain. The goal is to make the response automatic and efficient. There are differences between individuals’ capacities, strengths and weaknesses. This means that a personalized program of brain stimulation is required[4].
Training programs for improving Divided attention
[edit]Dual task training program
[edit]
Based on a recent study to assess the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program for improving divided Attention following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), dual-task training is very effective. Firstly, they were trained to do two different tasks separately, which in turn ensures that they master the task. Then, Patients were asked to perform both tasks simultaneously. A progressive hierarchical order of difficulty was included in the study, which in turn entails that the difficulty of the task increases gradually after patient's improvement. The study included two groups ''Patients '' and '' control group ''. Rating Scale of Attentional Behaviour showed a significant improvement in divided attention skills. The findings of the study suggest that dual-task training program can improve divided attention skills in general[18].
Attention training for improving driving behavior in head-injured patients
[edit]As reported by Kewman et al., driving skills of head-injured patients have improved significantly after participating in an attention training program. The program combined two attention tasks with driving tasks, which in turn fills the gap between the two and helps to generalize the findings. The study concluded that such training programs are very helpful in general[19].
Conclusion
[edit]Divided attention is a very important skill. It is usually affected because it strains the systems of attention of a person. There are several factors that also affect attention such as anxiety. No doubt the attention capability of a person is limited. However, it is possible to train the brain to determine how much attention should be assigned to each task.
Etymology and definitions
[edit]Arousal: State of the perceptive organs being stimulated or awoken.
Cognitive skill: core skills used by the mind to perform activities such as reading, thinking and learning.
Interference: disruption of a person’s memory or activity.
Simultaneity test: a cognitive assessment test.
Stimuli: A factor that arouses someone to do an activity.
References
[edit]- ^ Craik, Fergus; Govoni, Richard; Naveh-Benjamin, Moshe; Anderson, Nicole (1996). "The Effects of Divided Attention on Encoding and Retrieval Processes in Human Memory" (PDF). Journal of Experimental Psychology. 125 (2): 159–180. doi:10.1037/0096-3445.125.2.159. PMID 8683192. S2CID 2071201.
- ^ Plaisted, Kate; Swettenham, John; Rees, Liz (1999). "Children with Autism Show Local Precedence in a Divided Attention Task and Global Precedence in a Selective Attention Task". Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 40 (5): 733–742. doi:10.1017/s0021963099004102. ISSN 0021-9630. PMID 10433407.
- ^ Spelke, Elizabeth; Hirst, William; Neisser, Ulric (1976). "Skills of divided attention". Cognition. 4 (3): 215–230. doi:10.1016/0010-0277(76)90018-4. S2CID 19019411.
- ^ a b c d Pashler, Harold E. (1999). The Psychology of Attention. California: MIT Press. ISBN 9780262661560.
- ^ Wikipedia. "Arousal". WIKIPEDIA.
- ^ a b Ohry, Avi; Rattok, J. (1990). "The 'hyperprosexia phenomenon' in traumatic brain injured patients (a forgotten term for an old problem)". Medical Hypotheses. 32 (4): 269–272. doi:10.1016/0306-9877(90)90104-m. ISSN 0306-9877. PMID 2233416.
- ^ Downie, Walker (1896). "Aprosexia, Convulsions and Adenitis, Dependent on Pathological Changes in the Faucial, Lingual, and Pharyngeal Tonsils". Glasgow Med J. 45 (1): 19–28. PMC 5950360. PMID 30437021.
- ^ Lampert, Jay (2014). Simultaneity and delay : a dialectical theory of staggered time. Bloomsbury Academic; Reprint edition. ISBN 9781441183057. OCLC 880457729.
- ^ Schmidt, Richard (1975). Motor skills. Harper & Row. OCLC 643595160.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Bruya, Brian; Tang, Yi-Yuan (2018-09-06). "Is Attention Really Effort? Revisiting Daniel Kahneman's Influential 1973 Book Attention and Effort". Frontiers in Psychology. 9: 1133. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01133. ISSN 1664-1078. PMC 6136270. PMID 30237773.
- ^ E., Pashler, Harold (2013). Encyclopedia of the mind (Vols. 1-2). SAGE. ISBN 978-1412950572. OCLC 844042512.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Allport, D. Alan; Antonis, Barbara; Reynolds, Patricia (1972). "On the Division of Attention: A Disproof of the Single Channel Hypothesis". Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 24 (2): 225–235. doi:10.1080/00335557243000102. ISSN 0033-555X. PMID 5043119. S2CID 46047254.
- ^ Wahn, Basil; König, Peter (2017-03-31). "Is Attentional Resource Allocation Across Sensory Modalities Task-Dependent?". Advances in Cognitive Psychology. 13 (1): 83–96. doi:10.5709/acp-0209-2. ISSN 1895-1171. PMC 5405449. PMID 28450975.
- ^ Bisley, James W.; Goldberg, Michael E. (2010). "Attention, Intention, and Priority in the Parietal Lobe". Annual Review of Neuroscience. 33 (1): 1–21. doi:10.1146/annurev-neuro-060909-152823. ISSN 0147-006X. PMC 3683564. PMID 20192813.
- ^ a b Kates, Wendy R; Frederikse, Melissa; Mostofsky, Stewart H; Folley, Bradley S; Cooper, Karen; Mazur-Hopkins, Patricia; Kofman, Ora; Singer, Harvey S; Denckla, Martha B (2002). "MRI parcellation of the frontal lobe in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or Tourette syndrome". Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. 116 (1–2): 63–81. doi:10.1016/s0925-4927(02)00066-5. ISSN 0925-4927. PMID 12426035. S2CID 21107839.
- ^ a b Bocquillon, Perrine; Dujardin, Kathy; Betrouni, Nacim; Phalempin, Valérian; Houdayer, Elise; Bourriez, Jean-Louis; Derambure, Philippe; Szurhaj, William (2009). "Attention impairment in temporal lobe epilepsy: A neurophysiological approach via analysis of the P300 wave". Human Brain Mapping. 30 (7): 2267–2277. doi:10.1002/hbm.20666. ISSN 1065-9471. PMC 6870951. PMID 19034898.
- ^ a b Gottwald, Birgit; Mihajlovic, Zoran; Wilde, Barbara; Mehdorn, Hubertus Maximilian (2003). "Does the cerebellum contribute to specific aspects of attention?". Neuropsychologia. 41 (11): 1452–1460. doi:10.1016/s0028-3932(03)00090-3. ISSN 0028-3932. PMID 12849763. S2CID 37941321.
- ^ Couillet, Josette; soury, stephane; labornec, gaelle; asloun, sybille (2010). "Rehabilitation of divided attention after severe traumatic brain injury: A randomised trial". Neuropsychological Rehabilitation. 20 (3): 321–339. doi:10.1080/09602010903467746. PMID 20146136. S2CID 46646996.
- ^ Kewman, Donald G.; Seigerman, Charles; Kintner, Hallie; Chu, Shenghui; Henson, Donald; Reeder, Charles (1985). "Simulation training of psychomotor skills: Teaching the brain-injured to drive". Rehabilitation Psychology. 30 (1): 11–27. doi:10.1037/h0091025. ISSN 1939-1544.
