Involuntary attention and features of voluntary attention. Types of attention: voluntary and involuntary

Involuntary attention plays a significant role in the learning process. We should talk about involuntary attention in the case when the direction and concentration of consciousness is not determined by a person’s volitional act.

In the appearance of such attention, a person’s habits, the correspondence of the stimulus to the internal state of the body, constant expectation of something, etc. play a role. Involuntary attention is based on an unconditioned orienting reflex, manifested in a constant readiness to respond to a newly appeared stimulus.

One of the factors that causes the process of involuntary attention is strong stimuli.

Very strong auditory, visual, skin, olfactory, proprioceptive, organic stimuli, acting separately on individual analyzers or in combination on a number of analyzers, cause the process of involuntary attention.

Factors that organize the process of involuntary attention include contrasting stimuli.

Involuntary attention is also attracted by emotionally significant stimuli. Objects that evoke feelings of joy, surprise, aesthetic feelings, feelings of anger and others, at the same time evoke involuntary attention.

Voluntary attention is the attention that arises under the influence of a consciously set goal and volitional effort.

Voluntary attention is caused by a person’s volitional act and is associated with a consciously set goal.

Voluntary attention arose in the process of work. Voluntary attention to something is established as a result of awareness of the need to be attentive to this particular object or action. In voluntary attention, the activity of the second signaling system is clearly visible.

The decisive role in human life and activity belongs to voluntary attention. In this regard, special importance is attached to its study and training. In a person at an early age, school and activities associated with staying in it are of decisive importance in the development of voluntary attention. The attention of an adult develops and improves along with the personality.

There are also externally directed And intradirectional attention.

Externally directed attention – highlighting objects in the external environment.

Intradirectional attention is the selection of ideal objects from the fund of the psyche itself.

Activity attention – voluntary attention, involuntary, post-voluntary.

Focus attention(internal and externally directed attention) is that objects that have vital significance for a person at a given time attract his attention, while other objects that do not have such significance remain outside of it.

Concentration attention(high, low, very low)– This is a process of deepening into activity, distracting from everything that is not related to it.

The direction and focus of attention are related to the orientation of the individual, his beliefs, interests, and depend on the abilities, characteristics of temperament and character of this individual.

Latitude attention(amount of attention, distribution of attention)– uniform distribution of consciousness over several objects.

At this stage there is no sustained attention yet. Sustainability of attention becomes essential when the most significant ones for a given activity are identified from the available objects.

Volume attention is determined by the number of objects that are simultaneously covered by attention and that a person can simultaneously be aware of with the same degree of clarity.

The average attention span for adults is 4-6 characters, and for children - 3-4 characters. When presenting words - up to 14 characters. The scope of attention increases with exercise, preliminary familiarization with objects and acquisition of knowledge about them. The amount of attention depends on a person’s professional activity, his experience, and mental development.

Distribution attention called such an organization of mental activity in which a person simultaneously performs two or more different actions– the focus of consciousness on the most significant objects.

Distribution of attention is a prerequisite in a number of professions, including the profession of a medical worker. The correct organization and productivity of work often depends on the ability to distribute attention. Distribution of attention is not an innate quality; it can be developed through exercise.

Concentration attention – intense focus of consciousness on the most significant objects.

Concentration and volume of attention depend both on the characteristics of the individual and his state, and on the nature of the activity to which attention is directed, and on its object.

The disease can reduce the ability to concentrate for various reasons: due to weakness of brain cells, decreased activity, asthenia. This is often observed in some somatic diseases.

A feature of attention is its stability (stable attention, unstable), i.e. the ability to concentrate attention on a specific object for a long time.

The more monotonous the operations and objects included in the action, the more attention this action requires. The fewer distracting stimuli there are in the environment, in a person’s thoughts and experiences, in his body (pain sensations, etc.), the easier it is to maintain stability of attention.

In this regard, in order to mental hygiene In businesses where work requires intense attention, distractions should be eliminated.

Sustainability of attention is facilitated by a change in the objects of activity and the actions performed. Monotony is always tiring.

Hesitation attention represents periodically repeated deviations from the main object of attention and return to it.

Psychologically, this is expressed in a decrease in attention to the main object of activity and the emergence of attention in the direction of new objects. However, with the help of volitional effort, i.e. verbal signaling, attention returns to the main object of activity as soon as the nerve cells performing this activity restore their work during the period of inhibition.

Switching attention(easy, difficult). This is a voluntary transfer of attention from one object or type of activity to another object or type of activity.

Switching attention depends on the significance of the object or activity towards which the focus of attention changes. It also depends on interest: more interesting objects or activities make it easier to switch attention in their direction. Switching attention depends on the volitional qualities of the individual.

Intensity attention(high, low).

Distractibility. This is an involuntary movement of attention from one object to another.

Distractibility occurs when extraneous stimuli act on a person who is engaged in some activity at that moment. Distractibility can be external or internal.

External Distractibility occurs under the influence of external stimuli, while voluntary attention becomes involuntary.

Internal Distraction of attention occurs under the influence of strong experiences, extraneous emotions, in the absence of interest and a sense of responsibility for the work that a person is currently engaged in.

Absent-mindedness. Absent-mindedness is a person’s inability to concentrate on anything specific for a long time - the focus of consciousness on the parallel execution of several actions. Distraction of attention– one of the states of disorganization of consciousness.

There are two types of absent-mindedness: imaginary and genuine absent-mindedness.

Imaginary absent-mindedness- this is a person’s inattention to the immediately surrounding objects and phenomena, caused by the extreme concentration of his attention on one thing. Imaginary absent-mindedness is the result of great concentration and narrowness of attention.

Genuine absent-mindedness– a person has difficulty establishing and maintaining voluntary attention on any object or action. To do this, he requires significantly more volitional efforts than a non-absent-minded person. The cause of true absent-mindedness can be neurasthenia, anemia, disease of the nasopharynx, which impedes the flow of air into the lungs and, therefore, depletes the oxygen supply of brain cells.

Sometimes absent-mindedness is the result of physical and mental fatigue and overwork, the result of difficult experiences. One of the reasons for genuine absent-mindedness may be an overload of the brain with a large number of impressions, as well as scattered interests.

Absent-mindedness sometimes occurs as a result of a change in impressions, when a person is not able to concentrate on each of them separately, as well as due to the action of monotonous, unimportant stimuli or as a result of intoxication of the body.

Involuntary attention is the simplest type of attention, in a unique form characteristic of animals. It is already observed in a small child, but in the first stages it is unstable and relatively narrow in scope (a child of early and preschool age very quickly loses attention to a new stimulus that has arisen, his orienting reflex quickly fades away or is inhibited by the appearance of any other stimulus), and he cannot distribute his attention between several stimuli, returning to the previous one and without losing the previous one from the field of his attention. Luria A.R. Lectures on general psychology. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2006. - 181-184 p. It is often called passive, or forced, since it arises and is maintained independently of a person’s consciousness. An activity captivates a person by itself, due to its fascination, entertainment or surprise. However, this understanding of the causes of involuntary attention is very simplified. Usually, when involuntary attention occurs, we are dealing with a whole complex of reasons. This complex includes various physical, psychophysiological and mental causes. They are interrelated with each other, but they can be roughly divided into the following four categories.

The first group of reasons is related to the nature of the external stimulus. Here you need to take into account, first of all, the strength, or intensity, of the stimulus. Any sufficiently strong irritation - loud sounds, bright light, strong shock, strong smell - involuntarily attracts attention. In this case, the most significant role is played not so much by the absolute, but by the relative strength of the stimulus. For example, if we are passionate about something, we do not notice weak stimuli. This is explained by the fact that their intensity is not great enough compared to the intensity of the stimuli that constitute the subject or conditions of our activity. At the same time, in other conditions, for example, at night, when we are resting, we can react very sensitively to all sorts of rustles, creaks, etc.

The second group of reasons that cause involuntary attention is associated with the correspondence of external stimuli to the internal state of a person, and, above all, to his needs. Thus, a well-fed and a hungry person will react completely differently to a conversation about food. A person experiencing a feeling of hunger will involuntarily pay attention to a conversation in which food is discussed. From the physiological side, the effect of these reasons is explained in the principle of dominance proposed by A. A. Ukhtomsky.

The third group of reasons is related to the general orientation of the individual. What interests us most and what constitutes the sphere of our interests, including professional ones, as a rule, attracts attention, even if we come across it by chance. That is why, walking down the street, a policeman pays attention to an illegally parked car, and an architect or artist pays attention to the beauty of an ancient building. Consequently, the general orientation of the individual and the presence of previous experience directly affects the occurrence of involuntary attention.

As the fourth independent group of reasons that cause involuntary attention, we should name those feelings that the influencing stimulus causes in us. What is interesting to us, what causes us a certain emotional reaction, is the most important reason for involuntary attention. Maklakov A.G. General psychology: Textbook for universities. - M.: Peter, 2013. - 117 p.

Within the framework of involuntary attention, three subtypes can be distinguished, with the degree of individual contribution to the act of attention gradually increasing from the first subtype to the third.

• 1. Forced attention is determined by such factors as the intensity of the stimulus, its extent in time and space, movement - everything that indicates its significance from the point of view of survival. The subject's contribution here is minimal, although not completely excluded. For example, people differ in their thresholds of perception, and a stimulus that is intense enough for one person to attract attention will simply not be noticed by another person.
• 2. Involuntary attention. This variety is defined as dependent not so much on the species as on the individual experience of the object. It develops on the same instinctive basis, but as if in a delayed manner, in the process of spontaneous learning and adaptation of a person to certain living conditions. To the extent that these processes and conditions coincide or do not coincide among representatives of different age and social groups, general and individual zones of objects of attention and inattention are formed. Vygotsky L.S. History of the development of higher mental functions // Collection. Op.: In 6 volumes. T.3/Rep. ed. A.V. Zaporozhets. - M.: Pedagogy, 1983. - 287s.
• 3. Habitual attention, being essentially involuntary, independent of our desires and intentions, is even more individualized. It is directly related to a person’s past experiences. An example would be professional experience. The activity of the cognizing subject here is still small. His interest is individual, but dictated by past experience, and not by current intentions.

The occurrence of involuntary attention can be caused by the peculiarity of the influencing stimulus, and also be determined by the correspondence of these stimuli to past experience or the mental state of a person. Sometimes involuntary attention can be useful, both at work and at home; it gives us the opportunity to promptly identify the appearance of an irritant and take the necessary measures, and facilitates inclusion in habitual activities. But at the same time, involuntary attention can have a negative impact on the success of the activity being performed, distracting us from the main thing in the task at hand, reducing the productivity of work in general. For example, unusual noise, shouting and flashing lights during work distract our attention and make it difficult to concentrate.

Involuntary attention- this is attention that arises without any human intention, without a predetermined goal, and does not require volitional efforts.

There is a complex set of reasons that cause involuntary attention. These reasons can be divided into different groups.

1. Features of the stimulus itself.

2. The degree of intensity of the stimulus. Any sufficiently strong irritant - a loud sound, bright light, a pungent smell - involuntarily attracts our attention. Moreover, not only the absolute, but also the relative strength of the stimulus is important (our attention will be attracted by a slight rustle in complete silence, and the light of a match in the dark).

3. Novelty, unusualness of the stimulus. Novelty is one of the most important features of stimuli causing the awakening of involuntary attention. Any new irritation, as noted by I.P. Pavlov, if it has sufficient intensity, causes an indicative reaction. A distinction is made between absolute novelty (in this case, the stimulus has never been present in our experience before) and relative novelty - an unusual combination of known stimuli.

4. Weakening the effect of the stimulus and stopping its action: beacons, car direction indicators.

5. Object mobility: moving objects.

6. Correspondence of external stimuli to the internal state of the organism or personality, i.e., needs.

7. Interests: one person will pass by and not notice a flashy poster about a football match, while another will pay attention to a modest announcement about an upcoming concert; a hungry person will involuntarily pay attention to everything related to food.

8. Feelings: it is well known that any irritation that causes one or another feeling attracts attention. It’s called emotional attention.

9. Expectation: often it allows one to perceive even what under other circumstances a person does not notice at all.

10. Apperception - the influence of previous experience, knowledge, ideas. Even a weak stimulus will attract the attention of a person who knows what is being said, while an ignorant person will simply not notice anything.

Involuntary attention is the simplest type of attention. It is often called passive or forced, since it arises and is maintained independently of the person’s consciousness. An activity captivates a person in itself due to its fascination, entertainment or surprise. Usually, a whole complex of reasons contributes to the emergence of involuntary attention. This complex includes various physical, psychophysiological and mental causes. They are interrelated, but can be roughly divided into four categories.

Unlike involuntary attention, the main feature voluntary attention is that it is driven by a conscious purpose.

But, unlike truly involuntary attention, post-voluntary attention remains associated with conscious goals and is supported by conscious interests. At the same time, unlike voluntary attention, there is no or almost no volitional effort.

Attention is when a person selectively directs and focuses his consciousness on an object or specific activity. At the same time, the individual’s sensory, motor, and intellectual activity increases. Mindfulness has an organic basis, representing a special structure of the brain that ensures the functioning of this parameter and is responsible for the manifestation of external characteristics. In the brain, special cells are responsible for attentiveness - neurons, which experts also call novelty detectors.

Why is mindfulness needed?

The functions performed by attention answer this question. The importance of attentiveness can be outlined using the simplest situational examples from a person’s daily activities, illustrating the work about “the absent-minded person from Basseynaya Street.” Thus, inattention can lead to erroneous actions. In some mental disorders, inattentiveness in its extreme manifestations acts as a symptom of the disease. Inattention in children may indicate slow development. Thus, voluntary attention may be impaired.

Psychologists identify the following main functions:

• vigilance;
• reaction to signals and their detection;
• search functions;
• selectivity;
• distribution.

Vigilance is important when providing a sense of personal safety. Search functions are also directly related to mindfulness. Thus, the development of this quality through search is facilitated by such a simple school technique as working on mistakes and checking one’s own work for their presence. This not only develops attentiveness, but also forms involuntary attention.

Attentiveness in the field of intellectual work is important. In order to identify the degree of its formation and development, various techniques are used.

In addition, psychology uses such concepts as signs of attention. These include pantomic behavioral features: freezing, holding the breath or slowing it down, manifested in concentration on a specific object during intellectual work. Thus, today one of the most studied is visual attention. A sign of its manifestation is contemplation or looking at visible objects, the ability to remember their arrangement or external features. Develop children's visual attention through color or shape. The development of auditory attention is based on the ability to memorize sounds and pronunciations.

Mindfulness in all its diversity

Such a parameter as attentiveness is also subject to classification within the framework of psychological science. The following types of attention are distinguished:

1. involuntary;
2. arbitrary;
3. post-voluntary.

The classification is based on the principles of conscious choice, its direction and regulation. It is also important to mention that the types of attention described below cannot be considered separately.

Involuntary attention

For it to manifest itself, a person does not need to make any special efforts. Some strong stimulus in the form of a new one that arouses interest is enough. The key function of involuntary attention is considered to be a person’s ability to quickly and adequately navigate the constantly changing parameters of the surrounding world, highlighting objects that are important in life and personal terms.

Involuntary attention in medicine is represented by several synonyms - passive attentiveness or emotional. This emphasizes that the individual lacks effort aimed at concentrating on the object. There is a connection between objects of attention and his emotions.

Voluntary attention

It also has the following synonyms in the literature - active or volitional. This type is characterized by purposeful concentration of consciousness coupled with efforts of will. A person who has set himself a certain task and consciously develops a program to achieve it triggers his voluntary attention. And it begins to regulate the mental processes occurring in the brain. The stronger the will of an individual, the more strength he will be able to mobilize to solve the assigned tasks. Thanks to this function, a person can extract from his memory only the information necessary for this, highlighting the most important thing from the entire memory volume.

The development of voluntary attention also works on the basis of this feature. An ordinary person without special training can use it for about 20 minutes.

Postarbitrary view

The post-voluntary type occurs in situations when a task goes from being paramount to being mundane. An example would be a schoolboy with his homework. At first, he sits down to carry them out by force of will, but gradually this process becomes commonplace, and its implementation does not require any volitional effort on his part. Post-voluntary appearance is a habit of something.

In terms of psychological characteristics, this type is somewhat similar to involuntary. The duration of manifestation of post-voluntary attentiveness can be several hours. It is actively used in pedagogical practice, artificially introducing schoolchildren into a state of post-voluntary attention.

Other types and properties of attention

In addition to the main ones described above, there are several more:

• Natural attention is given to a person from birth. It is expressed in the individual’s selective response to stimuli with elements of novelty. And it doesn’t matter whether they are internal or external. The main process that ensures these types of attention, in particular their activity, is the orienting reflex;
• Socially conditioned attention is the result of a person’s training and education. It has a close connection with the regulation of behavior using the will and a consciously selective response to the object of attention;
• Direct attention is controlled only by the object to which it is directed and if the object of attention fully corresponds to the needs and interests of the person at the moment;
• Indirect attention. Its regulation occurs with the help of special means, which include gestures, words, pointing signs or objects;
• Sensual attention is part of a person’s emotionality and the selective activity of his organs responsible for feelings;
• Intellectual attention contacts the direction and concentration of human thought.

The properties and manifestations of mindfulness are not subject to classification. And they can be observed in the course of intellectual activity. So, this is the ability to concentrate, switch from one type of activity to another. Such a characteristic as intensity is also taken into account. It depends on the psychological significance and importance for the individual of intellectual or other activity.

Concentration - the ability to concentrate on a specific object for a long period of time, is one of the main signs of mindfulness.

Development attention

Almost all forms of attention can be developed. This is facilitated by the educational, intellectual and labor activity of a person. At the same time, it is recommended to create for him conditions conducive to the formation of:

1. intellectual work in conditions of distractions, while ensuring that the person is not distracted by them;
2. to make a person realize that the work he is mastering has social significance, and he must bear responsibility for the work he performs;
3. the distribution and volume of attention can be formed as a specific work skill or intellectual activity by simultaneously performing several actions in conditions where the pace of activity increases. In this way, for example, visual attention is developed. There is also a classification according to the degree of complexity of various techniques.

The stability of mindfulness can be ensured by the development of the individual’s volitional qualities. Switching is developed by selecting special exercises. The method is often used when the development of voluntary attention is important. The only condition for training is to do any work efficiently.

Author of the article: Svetlana Syumakova

Attention is a mental cognitive process aimed at reflecting the mental properties and states of an object, which ensures the concentration of consciousness. This focus on certain objects is selective and contributes to the formation of an individual attitude towards them.

As objects attention can come from both other persons and inanimate objects. Phenomena of nature, objects of art and science also often come to the attention of the subject. It must be admitted that only those objects that arouse significant interest in him or are conditioned by a social need for study fall into the zone of a person’s attention. The development of attention directly depends on such factors as a person’s age, the purposefulness of his aspirations, interest in the subject or phenomenon being studied, and the regularity of performing special exercises.

Types of attention

Involuntary attention

Characterized by a lack of conscious human choice. Occurs when an influencing stimulus appears, which forces you to momentarily take a break from everyday affairs and switch your mental energy. This type of attention is difficult to manage, since it is directly related to the internal attitudes of the individual. In other words, we are always attracted only by what is of significant interest, what excites and makes our feelings and emotional sphere “stir.”

Objects of involuntary attention can be: unexpected noise on the street or indoors, a new person or phenomenon that appears before your eyes, any moving objects, a person’s mental state, individual mood.

Involuntary attention is valuable for its spontaneity and naturalness of occurrence, which always ensures a lively emotional response. But, at the same time, it can distract a person from performing pressing tasks and solving significant problems.

As a rule, involuntary attention predominates in preschool children. Teachers of children's institutions, of course, will agree that you can attract their attention only with bright, interesting images and events. That is why kindergarten classes are so replete with beautiful characters, attractive tasks, and huge scope for imagination and creativity.

Voluntary attention

Characterized by consciously maintaining concentration on an object. Voluntary attention begins when motivation appears, that is, a person understands and consciously concentrates his attention on something. Stability and perseverance are its integral attributes. In order for the necessary action to be carried out, the individual is required to make a volitional effort, come into a state of tension, and intensify mental activity.

For example, a student before an exam tries his best to focus on the material being studied. And even if he is not entirely interested in what he has to tell the teacher, his attention is maintained through serious motivation. The need to finish the semester and come home as quickly as possible sometimes adds a powerful incentive to push yourself a little harder and put aside all entertainment and trips.

However, it should be remembered that prolonged concentration of voluntary attention leads to a state of fatigue, even severe fatigue. Therefore, it is recommended to take reasonable breaks between serious intellectual work: go outside to breathe fresh air, do simple physical exercises, and exercises. But there is no need to read books on abstract topics: your head will not have time to rest, and in addition, the presence of unnecessary information can provoke further reluctance to return to business. It has been noticed that strong interest stimulates activity and activates the brain, and this can and should be achieved.

Post-voluntary attention

It is characterized by the absence of tension in the subject of activity when performing a task. In this case, the motivation and desire to achieve a specific goal are quite strong. This type of attention differs from the previous one in that internal motivation prevails over external motivation. That is, a person and his consciousness are guided not by social necessity, but by an individual need for action. Such attention has a very productive effect on any activity and produces significant results.

Basic properties of attention

The properties of attention in psychology are a number of significant characteristics that are closely related to the components of a person’s activity.

• Concentration is a deliberate focus on the object of activity. Maintaining attention occurs due to the subject’s strong motivation and desire to perform the action as best as possible. The intensity of concentration on the subject of interest is guided by the consciousness of the individual. If the concentration is high enough, the result will not be long in coming. On average, a person can focus attention for 30 to 40 minutes without a break, but a lot can be done during this time. It should be remembered that when working at a computer, you should take short breaks of 5 to 10 minutes to rest your eyes.
• Volume- this is the number of objects that consciousness can keep simultaneously in its field of vision. In other words, volume is measured in the mutual relationship of objects and the degree of stability of attention on them. If a person is able to maintain concentration on objects for a sufficiently long time and their number is large, then we can talk about a high volume of attention.
• Sustainability. Stability is the ability to maintain attention on one object for a long time and not switch to another. If a distraction occurs, they usually talk about lability. Stability of attention is characterized by the ability to discover new things in familiar things: to discover relationships and aspects that were not previously noticed or studied, to see prospects for further development and movement.
• Switchability. Switchability is a meaningful, purposeful change in the direction of the focus of attention. This property is characterized by being conditioned by external circumstances or phenomena. If the switching of attention does not occur under the influence of a more significant object and is not particularly intentional, then they speak of simple distractibility. It must be admitted that it can be difficult to switch attention from one object to another due to strong concentration. Then it even happens that a person moves on to another activity, but mentally continues to concentrate on the previous one: he thinks about the details, analyzes, and worries emotionally. Switching attention is needed to relax after intense mental work and to engage in new activities.
• Distribution. Distribution is the ability of consciousness to simultaneously concentrate attention on several objects that are in approximately the same position in terms of importance. The relationship between objects certainly influences how this distribution occurs: the transition from one object to another. At the same time, the individual often experiences a state of fatigue caused by the need to constantly remember other existing ones while being at one point of focus.

Features of attention development

The development of human attention is necessarily associated with the ability to concentrate on one or several objects for a certain period of time without any distraction. This is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. After all, in order to concentrate on something, you need to be sufficiently interested in your business. Thus, for the development of involuntary attention, all that is required is an interesting object on which to focus the gaze. Voluntary attention requires a serious approach: you need purposeful action, volitional effort, and the ability to manage your feelings in order to prevent distraction at the most inopportune moment. Post-voluntary attention is the most productive of all, since it does not require overcoming or additional effort.

Methods for developing attention

Today there are a variety of methods for developing attention that allow you to achieve high results and learn how to manage attention.

Development of concentration

It is recommended to choose an object for observation and try to focus your attention on it for a certain period of time. Moreover, the simpler this item is, the better. For example, you can put a book on the table and imagine what it is written about, what the main characters are. One can only think of a book as an object made of paper and cardboard, and imagine how many trees it took to make it. In the end, you can simply pay attention to its color and shape. Which direction to choose is up to you. This exercise perfectly trains the focus of attention itself, allowing you to develop the duration of concentration on one object.

If you wish, you can try to practice holding two or more objects in your field of vision. Then, to all of the above, it is necessary to add the development of the ability to switch attention from one object to another, remembering and noting the significant features of each of them.

Development of visual attention

Exercises should be aimed at expanding the individual's ability to focus on an object. For example, you can put an object in front of you and set yourself the task of looking at it for 3 to 5 minutes, highlighting as many details as possible. First, you will begin to develop a general idea of ​​the object: its color and shape, size and height. However, gradually, the more you concentrate, the more clearly new details will begin to appear: small details, minor devices, etc. They are also a must see and note to yourself.

Development of auditory attention

To improve this type of attention, you need to set yourself a goal of concentrating on the sound of the voice for no more than ten minutes. It is best if this is meaningful human speech, however, if you want to relax, you can include birdsong or any melody that meets the requirements of relaxing music.

If human speech is heard, while listening, it is important to note to yourself the speed with which the lecturer speaks, the degree of emotionality in the presentation of the material, and the subjective usefulness of the information. It is also quite acceptable to listen to recorded fairy tales and stories, and then try to remember and reproduce their content. When listening to music, it is important to capture the vibration levels of the sound wave, try to “connect” to the emotions being reproduced and imagine the details of something.

How to manage attention?

Many people who want to improve their attention levels face constant difficulties. Some people may have trouble concentrating on details, while others have difficulty taking in the whole subject. In this case, I would like to advise you to train at different facilities in all areas and do it every day. Agree, it’s not difficult to devote 5–10 minutes a day to working on yourself.

Thus, the problems of attention development are quite multifaceted and deep. This type of cognitive processes cannot be considered only as a component of activity. We must also remember that we always need attention in everyday life, therefore it is important to be able to focus on simple things and notice even small details.