AREAS OF ATTENTIVENESS
INFORMATION ON AREAS OF ATTENTIVENESS AND EXAMPLES OF CHALLENGES THAT MAY OCCUR
Directing
The ability to focus on the essential and ignore the non-essential.
Challenges of directing attention
- Attention is diverted to surrounding distractions, e.g. sounds.
- Getting lost in your own thoughts, e.g. when doing things or listening to others.
Maintaining
Maintaining attention on the desired target. The importance of sustaining attention is emphasized in long-lasting situations.
Challenges of maintaining attention
- Difficulty concentrating in situations that require precision or persistence, e.g. listening to teaching or reading.
- Attention wavers in situations that are monotonous but require alertness, e.g. driving long distances.
Shifting
Shifting attention from one target to another.
Challenges of shifting attention
- Difficulty in shifting smoothly from one task or instruction to another.
- Getting so absorbed in what you're doing that it's hard to stop and you forget to pay attention to other things. For example, playing games or watching series for hours on end.
Dividing
Dividing attention between two or more things. The more demanding the task, the more challenging dividing attention is.
Challenges of dividing attention
- Difficulty managing two or more things at the same time, e.g. listening to teaching and taking notes.
