What is attention and information processing?
Attention and information processing enable the brain to attend to, and process, information, or in simpler terms, to concentrate and think. It involves highly complex processes and operates at different levels of awareness:
- Focused attention allows the brain to concentrate on one thing and ignore distractions.
- Divided attention enables the brain to focus on more than one thing and still perform the focused task.
- Sustained attention refers to the ability to perform tasks over a period of time. These different aspects of attention operate together.
Throughout all these activities your brain will be processing information – holding the information in temporary store, understanding, performing operations and formulating your responses.
For example, driving a car requires constant information processing and focused attention, to talk to a passenger in the car divided attention is used, and sustained attention gets you through the whole journey.What problems arise?Attention and information processing is very often disrupted due to injury and age. When a person is unable to attend to one item of focus they usually become highly distracted, make errors and shift from one thing to the next. They may complain of being bored as they are unable to concentrate on the task or activity long enough.
Several factors can reduce or affect attention and information processing such as illness, pain, fatigue, and emotional issues.