Understanding that there are several types of care is as important as developing each of them, we generally define attention as the ability to stay focused and generally use this concept through its anonymity, inadose.
Every time we talk about someone who is distracted or just doesn’t listen to us, we say they’re not paying attention. The question is: is it possible to live without attention?
Currently, attention disorders are in vogue. We mustn’t be afraid of that.
We live in a society that requires the constant treatment of countless stimuli, advertising, simultaneous tasks and technological devices are examples of the elements that capture our attention at all times.
In addition, attention is a cognitive process based on the brain and therefore a person does not need attention because they are distracted, they simply use it for something else.
Attention is one of the most complex functions of the brain, for which there is not yet a closed definition and accepted by all, it is a function that allows us to filter stimuli, process information and focus on objectives.
Therefore, the frontal lobe requires the integration of information from the rest of the nervous system.
This process occurs at various levels that depend on interaction with the environment, the characteristics of a task, and its requirements will determine the type of care we will use.
As we have already mentioned, attention is given at different levels with very different characteristics, for this it is essential the concept of orientation, the awareness of ourselves in relation to the world around us.
Therefore, the type of care used will depend on the level of awareness and activation required to respond.
This type of attention is based on the ability to respond specifically to a stimulus, this forces the individual to ignore the other stimuli that surround it, for this a high level of alertness and activation is required.
When a person is very tired of being in a prolonged state of vigilance, can they ignore the rest of the stimuli just as effectively, becoming more?Vulnerable? Distractions
Sustained care is used for long-term tasks, it is the ability to maintain cognitive activity with perseverance.
For example, if the task is to read a book for an exam, we will have to read and process the information for several hours, in many cases the reward is not immediate, so this type of attention presents several obstacles:
Our brain is so amazing that it allows us to do two tasks at the same time, however, these tasks may not be so demanding, since it is necessary to allocate attention resources to have a good performance in both.
This capacity is limited, because as two simultaneous sources of information increase their demand, the response deteriorates. For example, when we have to write and listen at the same time, look and talk to a teacher, we are using shared attention.
This is the most significant aspect of mental flexibility, understood as the ability to change the focus and move between very different tasks.
A very clear example is when we prepare a complex dish that requires working with its ingredients at different times, for this we have to change tasks without forgetting the previous one, since in a few seconds we will return to it.
Care is not a unique or exclusive process. Most tasks require the joint action of different types of attention.
Controlling care or the ability to effectively change and use types of care depends on other executive functions, including the most important are:
The main structures involved are
Attention is a complex brain function that has played a particular role in our evolution and development as a species.
It is, at the same time, a skill that must be maintained and exercised, as any injury in the areas mentioned usually results in irreparable delays.
The five types of care are also important. We use them every day for both automatic tasks, such as breakfast, and for complex tasks, such as driving in traffic.