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The Psychology of Attention

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Research on attention has evolved dramatically in recent years. There are now many new ways of studying how we are able to select some aspects for processing, whilst ignoring others, and how we are able to combine tasks, learn skills and make intentional actions. Attention is increasingly seen as a complex process intimately linked with perception, memory and action. New questions are continually being addressed, for example in the area of cross modal attention, and the biological bases of attention.

After an initial consideration of what attention might be, this book charts the development in the ideas and theories which surround the field. An entirely new chapter addresses the nature of auditory attention and the question of how visual and auditory attention are combined across modalities. The problems of task combination, skill acquisition and automaticity are also considered, as well as the selection and control of action, and conscious and unconscious processing.

The Psychology of Attention, Second Edition provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to this fascinating and rapidly developing field

Table of Contents

Introduction. The Rise of Attention Research: A cognitive approach. The Nature of Visual Attention. Combining Attributes of Objects and Visual Search. Auditory and Cross modal Attention. Task Combination and Divided Attention. Automaticity, Skill and Expertise. Selection and Control of Action. The Nature and Future of Consciousness. References.

Reviews

Although attention research forms a major part of cognitive psychology, students often find it difficult to grasp. This much improved new edition does a brilliant job of introducing attention from scratch, whilst at the same time being comprehensive and in-depth. - Jan W. de Fockert, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London

The second edition of The Psychology of Attention represents a considerable achievement. In this book, Elizabeth Styles gives a thorough and clear review of all of the major issues which cognitive psychologists have addressed in relation to attention over the last half a century. The book covers the standard textbook topics of early versus late selection and feature integration, but it goes on to do much more. Key topics include selection, task combination, the development of skill and automaticity, and the nature of consciousness. It goes well beyond typical textbook treatment. - Tony Ward, Head of Psychology, Newman College, Birmingham

Author/Editor Biography

Elizabeth Styles is Lecturer in Psychology at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford.