Over time, a wide variety of stimuli have been developed that have an impact on our daily tasks. Technological advances have allowed us to have daily contact with electronic devices that generate notifications and warnings on various topics simultaneously. This fact takes place at a time of constant changes in the world and denotes a permanent effort, since being Human must have the ability to direct their concentration towards a large number of specific objectives in short periods of time. time.
In this Psychology-Online article we will provide you with information about the alternate attention: what it is, how it works and exercises to work on it.
Alternate attention is the ability of the human being to shift attentional focus from one stimulus to another in very short periods of time. In turn, here the speed of information processing that the brain has is highlighted as one of the main pillars to understand this quality.
For this reason, attention is one of the cognitive functions that intervenes in the understanding of knowledge and in the interrelation of the same.
Below you will find the two main functions of alternate attention:
information selection
First of all, it should be noted that people process information through various means. Here the nervous, auditory, olfactory, respiratory systems, among others, come into play. However, although these systems are in contact with a considerable variety of external stimuli, the truth is that it is not possible to simultaneously process all the data that is acquired.
Given this, attention alternates allows the person to select the relevant information about other data of lesser importance. An example of this characteristic can manifest itself in the work environment when a person decides pay attention to your boss instead of someone else's messages that keep coming to your phone.
multiplicity of tasks
Second, this capability provides the ability to multitask in short periods of time. In turn, the speed implied by alternating attention allows attentional focus to be changed from one stimulus to another without the need to lose previously performed actions.
On the other hand, depending on the level of difficulty of the tasks that are executed, in some cases it is possible to perform them simultaneously, depending on the resources of each person. For example, it is common for some people to listen to music while doing household tasks such as doing laundry or ironing, among others.
As we have mentioned before, people receive a significant amount of external stimuli that are processed through different channels. However, the truth is that it is not possible to locate a kind of care above others, since cognition only focuses on those most transcendental aspects that are occurring at a given moment.
Alternating attention works through three main qualities:
- Capture of stimuli: process by which sensory receptors begin to work to receive the stimulus.
- Maintenance: consists of sustaining the attentional level for a short period of time. In the case of alternating attention, the duration is usually variable due to the variability of stimuli.
- Ending: culmination of the work of the sensory receptors before the stimulus on which the attentional focus has been placed.
How to work alternating attention? In order to develop this cognitive function, it is important to know the possible methods of approach. Therefore, below we show you the most effective exercises to work alternate attention:
- Creating number sequences: within the same game, the idea is to follow a determined sequence of numbers according to imposed rules. For example, a number may mean that the person must move forward three squares. In this way, the redirection of the attentional focus towards more than one task is favored.
- Alternate care sheets: The objective of this activity is to arrange tiles of the same color and/or shape within a box. The person will have to order them according to particular instructions.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Alternate attention: what it is, how it works and exercises to work on it, we recommend that you enter our category of cognitive psychology.
