Types of Attention - Sustained, Divided,

thepeakperformancecenter.com /educational-learning/learning/process/obtaining/types-of-
attention/
Attention is your brain function that allocates cognitive processing resources to
focus on information or stimuli. It deals with how you mentally process specific
information present in your environment that you are experiencing through your five
senses.
Your attention span is your ability to keep your mind focused on something through
careful observing or listening. It can be just momentarily such as turning around after
hearing a loud noise, or it may be for a sustained period of time such as playing a
video game.  
Attention is often the beginning to other cognitive functions. You first must pay
attention to something before you can process it for meaning and understanding.
Types of Attention
There are several types of attention that you use during the course of your daily
activities. The type of attention you use will vary depending on your need and
circumstances.
 Does the task need your undivided attention?
 Do you need to concentrate on one thing while ignoring other things that may be going on
at the same time?
 Do you have to do two activities at the same time?
Depending on your needs and circumstances you may employ one of the following
four types of attention.  
Sustained attention is the ability to focus on one specific task for a continuous
amount of time without being distracted.
Selective attention is the ability to select from many factors or stimuli and to focus
on only the one that you want while filtering out other distractions.
Alternating attention is the ability to switch your focus back and forth between tasks
that require different cognitive demands.
Divided attention is the ability to process two or more responses or react to two or
more different demands simultaneously. Divided attention is often referred to as
multi-tasking.
Categorizing Types of Attention
The first two types (sustained and selective) are needed when you have to focus on
one thing at a time.
Sustained attention is used when you need to focus on one specific task or activity
for a long period of time (playing a video game).
Selective attention is used to focus on one activity in the midst of many activities
(listening to a friend at a loud party).
The other two types of attention (alternating and divided) are needed when a person
has to focus on multiple things at once.
Alternating attention is used to alternate back and forth between tasks or activities
(reading a recipe and preparing a meal).
Divided attention is used to complete two or more tasks simultaneously (talking on
the phone while surfing the web)
Types of Attention Explained
Sustained Attention
Sustained attention is the ability to focus on one specific task for a continuous
amount of time without being distracted. Sustained attention is probably what you
think of when you hear the words “attention”, “focus”, “concentration”, or “vigilance.”
You use sustained attention when you continuously maintain focus on one task or
concentrate on an activity for a prolonged period of time without getting distracted.
Examples of sustained attention may include listening to lecture, reading a book,
playing a video, or fixing a car.
It can be challenging to maintain this type of attention for a significant amount of time
without becoming distracted. Therefore, your level of sustained attention will often
vary. You may be intensely focused one minute and then your attention may begin to
lapse. However, a key aspect of sustained attention is the ability to re-focus on the
task after a distraction arises.
Selective Attention
Selective attention is the ability to select from the various factors or stimuli that are
present and to focus on only the one that you want.  Every day, you are constantly
exposed to a number of environmental factors or stimuli, but your brain naturally
responds by selecting a particular aspect or factor to focus on. Selective attention
basically allows you to be able to “select” what you want to pay attention to. You may
need to use selective attention when attending a loud party and you are focusing on
one person’s voice, or if you are trying to study in a noisy room.
When employing selective attention you are able to avoid distractions from both
external (e.g. noise) and internal (e.g. thoughts) influences. If you are good at
selective attention, you are good at ignoring distractions. You are able to maintain a
specified level of performance in the presence of distracting stimuli.
Alternating Attention
Alternating attention is the ability of mental flexibility that allows you to shift your
focus of attention and move between tasks having different cognitive requirements. It
is alternating your attention back and forth between two different tasks that require
the use of different areas your brain.
You probably use alternating attention almost all the time. You constantly need to
make sudden changes on your activities or actions which requires your attention to
shift. You may use alternating attention when reading a recipe (learning) and then
performing the tasks of recipe (doing). It could also be alternating between unrelated
tasks such as cooking while helping your child with her homework.
Divided Attention
Divided attention is the ability to process two or more responses or react to two or
more different demands simultaneously. It is often referred to as multi-tasking.
Basically, dividing your attention between two or more tasks.
Examples of divided attention include checking email while listening in a meeting,
talking with friends while making dinner, or talking on the phone while getting
dressed.
Unlike alternating attention, when you are using divided attention, you do not change
from one task to another completely different task. Instead, you attempt to perform
them at the same time. So you are really splitting your attention, instead of
alternating it. Therefore, you are only really focusing part of attention on each task.
Although divided attention is thought of as the ability to focus on two or more stimuli
or activities at the same time, it is humanly impossible to concentrate on two different
tasks simultaneously. Your brain can only process one task at a time. So you are
really not “focused” on one task at a time, you are really continuously alternating your
attention between tasks. That is why it is so difficult and dangerous to text and drive
or talk and drive.
You are able to use divided attention successfully because of muscle memory and/or
habit.   It allows you to perform two or more tasks seemingly simultaneously such as
reading music and playing an instrument, talking to a person while typing, or driving
your car while listening to the radio. However, you are really not focusing on hand
positions when playing the instrument or concentrating on the individual acts of
driving. You are able to do the task without conscious effort or actually paying
attention.
Chris Bailey: Attention Without Intention Is Wasted
Energy | Freedom Matters
Many of us have experienced the frustrating feeling of not being able to focus. Some days you
can churn through your to-do list, while others days you’re left scattered and unable to
concentrate, responding to distractions instead of what’s really important.

As it turns out, even productivity experts can have trouble focusing – and that’s exactly what
led Chris Bailey to write his latest book HYPERFOCUS: How to Be More Productive in a
World of Distraction. Chris Bailey the productivity guru behind A Life of Productivity, the
book and blog with a mission to help you become as productive as possible. However, even
after studying productivity, Chris found it difficult to protect his attention and focus from the
many distractions that occur in daily life. So this week we decided to sit down with Chris
Bailey to learn a little more about how we can manage our distractions so that we can give our
attention to the things that matter most.

You seem to have gotten your start as a productivity expert from your “Year of
Productivity” project. Can you give a brief overview of the project and how it
led you to become the productivity expert and bestselling author that you are
today?

Productivity has always been an odd obsession of mine. I received a few full-time job offers
when I graduated from university, but decided to decline them all in favor of taking a year to
explore this weird curiosity. I’ll admit it was a bit of a risk. I spent the time running a series of
productivity experiments, using myself as the test subject. While doing this, I was also poring
over all the productivity research I could find. I wanted to know what it would take to become
as productive as possible.

Luckily, that project gained an online following, which gave me the opportunity to write The
Productivity Project. Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to continue researching and
experimenting with this obsession for a living, including for my second book, Hyperfocus!

When did you realize that tech, devices, websites, and apps were taking a toll on
your productivity?

The realization came soon after my last book was published. It’s tough for a productivity
expert to admit, but I was getting pretty distracted. Ironic, since that book doled out a good
amount of advice around how we should tame distractions.

That led me to look at distractions differently. While the advice in the book was a good start, I
thought there was perhaps a bigger picture problem everyone—including myself—was
missing. I began digging into the research about distraction, with the goal of getting to the
bottom of these distractions and what we can actually do about them. Part of it was to save me
from my own temptation, too!
What was one of the most impactful findings of your “Year of Productivity”
project/blog and how did it change your life or approach to being productive?

That intention lies at the heart of productivity. I went into the project thinking that
productivity was about accomplishing things faster and more efficiently—but left with a
somewhat opposing viewpoint.

Productivity isn’t about doing more, faster. It’s about doing the right and most important tasks
deliberately and with intention.
Your latest book, HYPERFOCUS, describes how our brains have two modes
that control our attention – can you briefly explain those modes and what they
each have to contribute to our productivity?

To put together this book, I connected hundreds of studies to build a complete picture of how
we can better manage our attention. The fact that we have two attentional modes was
something that surprised me.

First, there’s our focused mode. This is a familiar state, and one that is most powerful when
we bring our complete attention to focus on a single important thing. I call this state of total
focus “hyperfocus,” and getting into it is easier said than done. Luckily there are a few
relatively simple steps we can follow to help us along the way.

Second, there’s our unfocused mode, one I call “scatterfocus.” We slip into this mode when
our mind wanders from a task, or when we let it wander, like when we’re on a hike or taking a
shower. Scatterfocus gets in the way of our productivity when we’re trying to work, but can
be remarkably powerful if entered into deliberately. This deliberate mind wandering lets us do
three things: plan for the future, come up with new ideas, and rest. We shouldn’t only get
these benefits during our morning shower.

On a neurological level, the brain networks that support these two attentional modes are even
anti-correlated with one another—when one’s activated, the other isn’t.

What would you offer as a good first step for anyone looking to improve their
focus?

Set an intention before you focus. Attention without intention is wasted energy. Not all tasks
at work and home are created equal—some allow us to accomplish a disproportionate amount.
As a result, it’s essential we choose where to direct our focus.

After you set an intention for what you want to accomplish, tame all the distractions you
possibly can, especially if you’re not doing collaborative work. I use Freedom almost every
day to help with this—it’s the best distractions blocker I’ve found (and no one’s paying me to
say that).

Your mind can still wander even after you’ve set an intention and tamed distractions. When
this happens, gently bring it back to focus. We’re so tough on our minds when we notice
they’re distracted. But as I found in looking at the research, getting distracted is human.

Set an intention before you focus. Attention without intention is wasted energy.
While writing HYPERFOCUS, what piece of research regarding attention and
focus did you find most astonishing?

One study found that, when working in front of a computer, we focus on one thing for just 40
seconds before switching to something else. We all know our attention is fragmented, but the
extent of the problem surprised me.

It also surprised me to learn our attention naturally gravitates to anything that is pleasurable,
threatening, or novel. Most distractions are some combination of all three—which make them
the most enticing thing to focus on in the moment. That’s why we need to tame them in
advance.

What routine or ritual is most beneficial to your ability focus and sustain your
attention?

I’m a big advocate for creating a distraction-free ritual, where you tame distractions before
focusing on your most important tasks. For mine, I enable Freedom, put on noise-canceling
headphones, leave my phone and tablet in another room (or in my laptop bag if I’m traveling),
grab a cup of tea or coffee, and then focus on what I intend to accomplish.

What are your biggest distractors?

There’s so many. Sometimes after I finish a hyperfocus session, I treat myself to an all-you-
can-eat buffet of distractions. During this time I usually check out:

 Twitter
 Reddit (especially the knitting subreddit—this is a favorite hobby that I developed while writing
the book)
 Email
 Several news websites
 Amazon

…and several more. In the moment, each of these distractions are more tempting than my
work, and provide a generous dose of all things pleasurable, novel, and threatening.

Time Management Training Doesn’t Work

Nicholas Blechman for HBR

Today, knowledge workers use devices and platforms we wouldn’t have dreamed of 15 years
ago, in workspaces we probably didn’t see coming, either (goodbye, private offices; hello,
telecommuting).
But while work has changed, the training we get about how to manage our time looks pretty
much the same as it always has. Traditional time management teaches us to “start every
morning making a list of things to do that day.” But once you check your email, that list is
already woefully outdated. Time management teaches “Prioritize A, B, C.” But these days,
everything seems urgent and competes for the highest priority. Time management teaches us
to “close the door” to get important work done, but it doesn’t address our spinning brains and
the lure of the internet at our fingertips (let alone the fact that we no longer have a door).
Whatever “schedule” we came up with is typically out the window by 8:01 AM.

The problem’s not just that we’re getting distracted from work; it’s that we’re getting
distracted from important work by other work. How many times have you sat down to do
more thoughtful, in-depth tasks, only to be lured away by incoming emails from clients or
colleagues? Knowledge workers are so overwhelmed by incoming information, they spend
much of their time “playing defense,” operating without a clear picture of their total
responsibilities. Work comes at them from half a dozen places all at once, so they get quickly
overwhelmed trying to remember it all. The pace is frantic, with a new interruption every few
minutes, so it feels like there is no time to stop and organize it all. The “time management”
techniques they learned in the past are failing them: there are too many sticky notes, the paper
lists are way too long and there’s always more to add to them, and flagged emails quickly fall
below the scroll and get buried.

In my experience working with hundreds of companies and thousands of employees, I’ve

found that most knowledge workers spend their days in a state of constant distraction and task
switching. The results are perpetual stress, and being busy instead of being productive. More
than a quarter of the time someone switches tasks, it’s two hours or more before they actually
resume what they were doing.

All this distraction takes a toll on the quality of work. Employees who manage their attention
poorly are constantly in reactive mode. That leaves them no time to reflect and thoughtfully
apply their knowledge and experience to offer you an edge in your business — the very
reasons you hired them in the first place.

The truth is, we have to work differently now. And we need a new kind of training to be truly
effective. Companies need to offer training on productivity skills that empower employees to
overcome these new challenges. This training should have three components:

1. Clarity around role priorities rather than specific task priorities.

2. Attention management skills rather than “time management” skills.
3. A comprehensive workflow management system.

With requests coming from all levels inside and outside the organization, it’s easy for
employees to get caught up in being reactive all day. But when they are clear about the most
important parts of their job and the direction of the company, they gain clarity over what to
prioritize. Leadership needs to be clear on how day-to-day behaviors align with various job
roles, and how each role relates to the mission of the firm. When employees are taught to
focus on their most important job roles, it’s easier to filter the irrelevant noise and take
effective action. The ability to identify and stay focused on the big picture (the company
mission and how their job serves it) provides a beacon for employees that illuminates the
important over the (seemingly) urgent. For example, as a leader, how often do you feel that
you are spending too much time working in the business rather than working on the business?
This is a common lament that I hear from my clients. A renewed focus on the role of the
leaders can reduce the temptation to spend too much time in email and other day-to-day
minutiae.

Attention management training teaches the ability to control distractions, single-task for
higher-quality results, and engage in sustained (focused) attention when necessary, which
should be a part of almost every day. Education and awareness is a big part of this training.
For example, teach your staff that while it may seem that multitasking helps us get more
done, the research shows otherwise. And calling attention to unproductive behaviors, such as
being constantly reactive rather than thoughtfully proactive, helps employees recognize when
they are engaging in them. An environment that is set up to support focus and value single-
tasking also prevents these habits from taking root. These factors, especially when modeled
by leadership, protect a company, and its employees, against an unhealthy and distracted
corporate culture.

Lastly, workflow management skills are not taught in school and, as a result, workers are
often left to their own devices (sticky notes, flags in email, writing and reviewing paper lists,
etc.), with mixed results. This is leaving company productivity to chance. The unfortunate fact
is that the odds that individuals will come up with the most effective solutions on their own
are slim. Making calendar appointments with yourself to get your most important projects
done and keeping paper lists with “A, B, C” priorities may have been sufficient in the past,
but such tactics aren’t up to the demands of the modern workplace.

The complexity of knowledge work today requires a workflow methodology that allows us to
be intentional, proactive, and thoughtful. The basis of a useful workflow management
methodology is the ability to make tasks and responsibilities easy to organize, track, and act
upon. Most employees do keep some or all of their workload in their head. But employees can
only truly manage what they can see, and they can only see what is outside their head, where
it becomes tangible, centralized, actionable, and trackable. A workflow methodology allows
individuals to regain control, feel less scattered, and experience less stress. In addition to the
individual productivity benefits, when staff uses a comprehensive workflow management
system, it offers these benefits to the organization:

 Ease in quantifying workloads, which assists in human resource allocation.

 Appropriate resource allocation provides insight into turnover problems.
 Objective employee reviews and merit rewards.
 Accurate job descriptions, leading to better hiring.
 Documented institutional knowledge and company history.
 Accurate project timelines.
 Ability to clearly track progress, which sustains motivation.

Being our most productive and effective in this information-rich, ever-changing workplace
isn’t instinctual. But it can be learned if outdated concepts like time management are tossed
aside for more modern ideas on productivity that incorporate attention management and help
employees to regain control. Studies show that control makes us happy, and happy people are
more productive employees.