Allgemeine Psychologie 1 Teil 3

Attention is crucial for survival, guiding our actions and decisions. It helps us create a realistic representation of the world, recognize and identify things, and execute effective motor sequences. It also allows us to prioritize information efficiently.

Bottom-up attention is driven by the environment, focusing on salient or visually striking stimuli, like a moving animal. Top-down attention is directed by our internal needs, goals, or conscious focus, such as searching for your keys.

Attention is the selective filter that allows us to prioritize specific information and act accordingly. It enables focused responses to a single object at a time, influencing our interpretation of the world and enabling faster recognition based on our current needs and knowledge.

Attention involves both selecting and inhibiting information, influencing its flow through the neural network. While often linked to consciousness, attention can operate unconsciously, driving many of our mental processes.