Question

State the determinants of selective attention. How does selective attention differ from sustained attention?

Answer 1

The determinants of selective attention are:

Internal Factors

These are the features of spur such as size, power, shape, motion etc. The stimuli which are bright, large, and moving easily catch attention.

External Factors

These can be divided into cognitive factors and motivational factors and they are present in an individual.

Selective attention is different from Sustained attention in the following ways:

• Sustained attention is mainly concerned with concentration. It can be defined as the ability to maintain the attention of an object for a longer span of time.

• Whereas, Selective attention is concerned with the selection of a limited number of stimuli from a larger group of stimuli.

Answer 2

Determinants of selective attention

Explanation:

• Factors determining selective attention are categorized as internal and external factors.  
• External factors include outside stimuli or situation which enhances attention.
• These include nature of the stimuli; size and intensity of the stimuli; contrast and variation of the stimuli; repetition of stimuli; and movement of stimuli.
• Internal factors reflect the mental state of the receiver and triggers or predisposes an individual to listen and attend.
• These are based on self interest, motivation, mind set, mood and attitudes.

Selective and sustained attention

• Selective attention is the individual’s ability to select from a variety of stimuli and focus and listen and attend to only one.
• Sustained attention allows the individual to focus on one particular specific task for a prolonged time without being intervened with distractions.