Previously we what research is behind the popular advice on how to "learn to learn". discussed metacognitive processes and the usefulness of crop doodles.
In the third part, they told . By the way, about memory - they spoke separately и , more - dealt with how "».
Today we will discuss concentration, "multitasking" and pumping attention.
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Attention is the "nerve of any psychological system"
General psychology defines attention as the ability of a person to focus at a certain point in time on an object: an object, event, image or reasoning. Attention can be voluntary - depending on conscious interest, and - involuntary or instinctive (you will notice a conditional thunderclap regardless of your desire). Need is another important factor influencing attention: so a hungry person walking around the city will stop looking at restaurants and cafes more often than a full one.
The most important characteristics of attention are its selectivity and volume. So at an event, a person first hears only the general noise of voices. However, as soon as his friend suddenly speaks nearby, the attention of one and the second person will switch to their voices and communication. This phenomenon, known as the "cocktail party effect", is experimentally in 1953 by Edward Colin Cherry of Imperial College, University of London.
The amount of attention can be expressed in the number of objects on which a person is able to concentrate at a certain moment. In an adult, this is about four or five, maximum six unrelated objects: for example, letters or numbers. This does not mean that we simultaneously perceive only a few words in the text - these can be semantic fragments of the material. But their number is not more than six.
Finally, attention is characterized by its ability to move from one task to another (absent-mindedness, from this point of view, is a lack of ability to do this effectively) and stability - the ability to maintain concentration for some time. This property depends on the characteristics of the studied material and the person himself.
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Focusing attention is one of the conditions for successful work and study. Charles Darwin in his autobiography “Memories of the Development of My Mind and Character”, that not only “the habit of energetic work, but also attention to any business that I was busy with” helped in my work. And the Anglo-American psychologist Edward Bradford Titchener in his book Lectures on the Experimental Psychology of Sensation and Attention (1908) its "nerve of any psychological system".
The ability to concentrate has a positive effect on academic performance. About it MIT studies that were conducted in Boston. They speak of attention as "a form of mental activity that must be maintained."
Multitasking is a myth
Popular publications write that it is supposedly possible to increase work efficiency and improve mindfulness by training multitasking. However, according to research, multitasking is a skill that, firstly, cannot be developed, and secondly, it is completely unnecessary.
According to neuropsychologist and professor at the University of Utah David Strayer, multitasking is a unique property: no more than 2,5% of people possess it. It is genetically determined and developing it is a waste of time. “We deceive ourselves and tend to overestimate our ability to multitask.” scientist.
experiments, at Stanford University showed that subjects who were put in the conditions of solving several problems at the same time performed worse on tasks. At first glance, multitasking may seem effective, but in the end, this approach takes up to 40% more time, and the results are full of errors, at the American Psychological Association.
How to improve concentration
You can become more careful. For example, there is , which indicate that various meditation techniques, both traditional Eastern and modern practices common in the USA and Europe, not only help relieve stress and develop self-regulation, but also significantly improve the ability to concentrate.
However, not everyone wants to meditate. Fortunately, there are alternatives. Tom Wujec from Singularity University a few easy exercises. Are you sitting on the subway or standing in a car park? The best way to kill time and train your attention at the same time is to focus for five minutes on an advertising poster or bumper sticker of a car in front without thinking about anything else. Reading a difficult book and getting distracted? Remember the fragment where you lost it and reread it.
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True, we do this without Tom Wijack's advice, but he claims that it works great. Sitting at a boring lecture or conference? Sit as comfortably as possible. You will simply be forced to listen carefully, Wijack convinces. Educational resource Mission.org daily reading ordinary printed books, which will teach you to concentrate on one single task for a long time and meditate. But it seems to us that such advice is too obvious.
Improving attention "according to science"
The opinion of scientists seems paradoxical: in order to be more attentive, you need not develop this ability with special exercises or force yourself with all your might, but just let your brain rest. Psychologists-researchers believe that a person loses the ability to concentrate not because he cannot or does not want to do it. Procrastination is not a malfunction, but a key property of the nervous system that helps our brain to work normally: intense attention (the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex is responsible for this) requires a very large amount of energy, so being distracted, we give the brain a rest.
Paul Sely, psychologist at Harvard University just like that, calling procrastination "mind wandering". He argues that it is reasonable to rest, citing a study in the NeuroImage journal. It is necessary not just to “dream”, but to use the time of rest to solve a simple everyday problem that does not require great intellectual effort. After that, you can return to your studies and focus again.
Paul Sely's advice is consistent with obtained back in 1993: the brain can work hard for no more than 90 minutes. You need a 15 minute break to recover.
In a more recent study by the University of Illinois the benefit of very short - for a few seconds - breaks (mental "breaks") for the same purpose. At the Georgia Institute of Technology that the perception of the material is improved by physical exercises, and caffeine improves memory and attention. And at the Australian National University they conducted an experiment with 124 students and that funny YouTube videos help you relax and recover so you can concentrate more effectively later.
TL; DR
- Multitasking efficiency is a myth. Remember, there are only 2,5% of truly “multi-tasking” people. This ability is determined genetically and it is almost impossible to develop it. For the rest, multitasking is a waste of time and mistakes in work.
- You might like to meditate: it's a really good way to learn how to keep your attention. True, you will need to practice meditation constantly.
- If you can’t concentrate, don’t mock your own brain. He must rest. Take breaks, but use them wisely: light exercise, a cup of coffee, or solving a simple everyday problem will help you return to your studies and focus more effectively again.
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Source: habr.com