Glossary
Selective attention
What is selective attention?
Selective attention means focusing on some information while giving less attention to other information. It shapes what we notice.
Models of selective attention
Three influential accounts differ in what happens to unattended information:
- Early selection: Broadbent proposed filtering on basic physical properties, such as which ear receives a message, before its meaning is fully processed.
- Attenuation: Treisman proposed weakening unattended information rather than blocking it completely, allowing some meaningful material to attract attention.
- Later selection: Deutsch and Deutsch proposed that inputs receive semantic processing before selection determines what gains access to further response or recall.
These are historical models, summarized in Feldman and Friston’s theoretical review, not three rules that apply identically to every task. Experiments on inattentional blindness show that people concentrating on one task can miss an unexpected object, even when it is visible.
Goals and salient stimuli
Attention research distinguishes goal-directed and stimulus-driven control. Looking for a friend’s red coat in a crowd illustrates goal-directed, or top-down, selection. An unexpected flash at the edge of the screen drawing attention illustrates stimulus-driven, or bottom-up, selection. These influences interact: a conspicuous feature does not guarantee notice under every task condition.
Example of selective attention
A reader focused on one part of an interface may miss a prominent message elsewhere. Putting it on the screen does not ensure that people see it. Test important information while people perform the task it is meant to support.