Attention is a complex process, combining a state of focused awareness with a readiness to respond. Can choose to attend. Distraction occurs when interfering demands prevent perception from being focused on relevant stimuli. Preattentive processing is an early stage of processing that operates on sensory inputs before we attend to them. Radio in background.
Favorite song comes on.
The Functions of Attention a. Attention is a sensory filter. Donald Broadbent was the first to say the mind is a communication channel and the amount of information the channel can accurately handle at one time is severely limited. Selective filter is preattentive. A second function of attention is to select responses. Finally, attention serves as the gateway to consciousness.