Selective Attention and ADHD
Saturday, May 18, 2024.
As a marriage and family therapist, understanding Selective Attention can provide profound insights into relational dynamics and communication patterns.
In psychological terms, Selective Attention is the process of focusing on one specific object or stimulus while ignoring others.
This mechanism, often described through the metaphor of an attentional spotlight, plays a critical role in how couples interact and perceive each other.
This understanding becomes even more crucial when considering those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), who often face challenges with Selective Attention.
Defining Selective Attention
Selective Attention is focusing on one element to exclude all others. Since attention is a finite resource and our senses continuously bombard us with information, we must prioritize what we attend to. This selective process is particularly significant in the realms of vision and hearing.
Selective Attention and ADHD
For humans dealing with ADHD, selective attention can be a significant struggle.
ADHD is characterized by difficulties sustaining attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.
These challenges can manifest in ways that impact daily life and relationships, making focusing on conversations and tasks harder. Understanding selective attention's role in ADHD can help therapists develop strategies to support clients in managing their symptoms.
The Cocktail Party Effect
A prime example of auditory selective attention is the cocktail party effect. This phenomenon refers to our remarkable capacity to concentrate on a single voice amidst a noisy environment.
Imagine being at a crowded party and focusing on a conversation with your partner while tuning out other voices.
This skill is essential in maintaining intimate and meaningful dialogues. However, for folks with ADHD, this can be particularly challenging, as they might struggle to filter out extraneous noises and focus on the conversation at hand.
Visual Selective Attention
Visual Selective Attention is equally fascinating and complex. Often, our focus aligns with our gaze, but not always. We frequently use our ‘mind’s eye’ to observe things our physical eyes might not look directly at.
For instance, a parent might watch their child at a playground while conversing with another adult, or a skilled athlete might use peripheral vision to execute a play without revealing their intentions. For those with ADHD, visual distractions can easily divert attention, making it harder to maintain focus on the task or person directly in front of them.
Examples in Everyday Life
Selective Attention is evident in various everyday scenarios:
Commuters: People close, such as on a train, can appear to be staring into space while their attention roams around their environment.
Parents: They can monitor their children while engaging in conversations by using peripheral vision.
Athletes: Sports professionals often hide their intended moves by not directly looking where they plan to pass or move.
The Attentional Spotlight
Selective Attention has been challenging for researchers, particularly regarding how attention shifts within our visual field.
In the 1970s, a series of groundbreaking experiments demonstrated that attention could move independently of eye direction, leading to the metaphor of the attentional spotlight. This spotlight suggests that our selective attention moves around, highlighting specific parts of our visual field for more detailed processing.
Selective Attention in Motion
One notable experiment by Professor Michael Posner and colleagues at the University of Oregon (Posner, Snyder & Davidson, 1980) showcased the speed at which selective attention operates.
Participants were asked to press a button when they saw a light flash. Hints about the light’s location, provided milliseconds before the light appeared, significantly improved response times, illustrating how swiftly and independently our attention can move.
Implications for Therapy
Understanding selective attention dynamics can greatly enhance therapeutic interventions. For instance, couples often struggle with feeling unheard or misunderstood. By training folks, especially those with ADHD, to manage their selective attention, therapists can help them become more present and attentive listeners. This can lead to improved communication and deeper emotional connections.
Attentional Spotlight in Daily Life
The importance of the attentional spotlight becomes starkly apparent when considering patients with hemispatial neglect, a condition often resulting from brain damage. Despite having functional eyes, these folks may ignore everything on one side of their visual field. This condition underscores the critical role of selective attention in our everyday functioning.
Expanding the Metaphor
While the spotlight metaphor is useful, it's not the only way to understand selective attention. The zoom-lens metaphor, proposed by Eriksen and St. James (1986), suggests that attention can expand or contract like a zoom lens, adjusting to the task's demands. Additionally, research has shown that attention can be split between locations and that we can process stimuli outside the spotlight's focus.
Final thoughts
Whether viewed as a spotlight or a zoom lens, selective attention offers valuable insights into how we process the world around us.
Leveraging these insights can enhance therapeutic practices for marriage and family therapists, helping clients improve their relational dynamics and communication.
This understanding is especially important for those working with clients with ADHD, who may face unique challenges with Selective Attention. Understanding and harnessing the power of selective attention can foster more attentive, empathetic, and connected relationships.
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
RESEARCH:
Eriksen, C. W., & St. James, J. D. (1986). Visual attention within and around the field of focal attention: A zoom lens model. Perception & Psychophysics, 40(4), 225-240.
LaBerge, D. (1983). Spatial extent of attention to letters and words. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 9(3), 371-379.
Posner, M. I., Snyder, C. R. R., & Davidson, B. J. (1980). Attention and the detection of signals. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 109(2), 160-174.
