The 15 types of care and what are their characteristics

Attention is a cognitive process that allows you to focus selectively in a stimulus (or several) of the environment without taking into account the rest.

However, behind this concept there are several types of care that should be known to better understand how it operates in the human mind. This is the theme around which this article revolves: the different ways in which the human being is able to focus their attention on certain elements, and how they affect our way of behaving.

• You may be interested: "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), also in adults"

The different types of care

As John Ratey (2001), a psychologist and professor at Harvard University, states, "attention is more than just noticing incoming stimuli." It involves a series of processes, including filtering perceptions, balancing multiple perceptions, and attaching emotional meaning to them. In addition, this attentional focus can focus both on external stimuli and on the contents of memory and imagination.

Now, beyond knowing the importance of managing the attention focus, it is convenient to know the different types of attention that exist, because in various aspects they behave in a different way and also affect us in a different way. varied.

The same person can be skilled in controlling one type of attention, and significantly less skilled in handling another.. However, in general, the cases in which you are very good in one of these areas and very bad in others are rare: all types of care tend to be close to the mean, as is the case with all characteristics psychological.

So, let's see what these varieties of care are, summarized and classified based on the most important criteria.

According to its breadth and direction

In the world of sports, it is common to hear about care approaches, which can also be applied to different tasks in life. There are four attentional approaches, which take into account the direction (external or internal) and the breadth of the direction (narrow or wide).

Regarding the direction of attention, external attention refers to when an individual focuses on issues outside of him, to what happens around him. Instead, inner attention refers to when a person pays attention to their inner events, to what happens inside him.

Regarding the breadth of care, wide attention is related to a greater number of stimuli, while reduced attention will allow greater concentration. The direction and breadth of attention are combined creating different types of attention, which are as follows.

1. Outpatient-reduced attention

Attention is focused on a small number of external stimuli, and is related to concentration. For example, when an individual tries to throw a dart and focuses all his attention on the center of the target.

2. Outpatient-wide care

This type of focus is on a large number of external stimuli. For example, when a soccer player starts a counterattack, he raises his head and observes the position of his teammates to make an effective pass.

It is important to know the difference between both types of external attention in order to maximize sports performance, since if an athlete is not aware of this difference and initiates a counterattack by focusing attention on the ball and dribbling (external attention-reduced), you will not know who to pass the ball to and therefore miss a valuable opportunity to search for the goal contrary.

3. Internal attention-reduced

It is characterized because the attention is focused in a small number of stimuli or responses that occur in the body of a person. For example, when a soccer player is learning to perform Vaseline and she should focus on the movements of her own foot and not on whether the Vaseline enters the goal.

4. Internal-wide attention

This type of attention refers to the fact that a person focuses on a wide number of stimuli or responses that occur within their body. For example, when someone has to fill in an emotional diary and analyzes what happened to him during that day and what were the feelings that he experienced.

According to the attitude of the individual

Taking into account the attitude of the individual, attention can be classified in two ways.

5. Voluntary attention

It occurs when the individual makes an active and conscious effort to direct attention, that is, it is the ability to focusing on a stimulus voluntarily.

6. Involuntary attention

In this type of attention, the person does not make a conscious and active effort, but it is both the internal and external stimulus that directs the attention. For example, the noise of a firecracker or a toothache.

According to the motor and physiological manifestations

If we take into account the motor and physiological manifestations, the attention can be divided into:

7. Open attention

The focus of attention and the recipients of interest have their orientation in the source of attention. For example, when someone speaks to us and we are in front, attending to both their verbal and non-verbal language.

8. Covert attention

In this kind of care attention focus and sensory receptors dissociate. For example, when it seems that we are paying attention to the television and we are actually listening to our partner talking on the phone.

According to the sensory modality

Taking into account the sensory modality. Attention can be of two types.

9. Visual attention

It refers to the spatial arrangement. This phenomenon allows the detection of stimuli in a complex visual context.

10. Hearing care

Although we cannot move our ears the same as our eyes to capture different auditory stimuli, yes we can choose what we hear, that is, we can focus our attention on one auditory stimulus or another.

Other types of care

In addition to the above classifications, there are also other types of care. We will explain them to you below.

11. Selective attention

It is also called focused attention. It is the ability to select and focus the specific attention on a specific stimulus or task. There are different theories that address this concept. In the article "Selective attention: definition and theories”You can learn more about this topic.

12. Divided attention

It is the ability to attend and simultaneously process two or more demands or stimuli. It is also often known as multitasking. For example, cooking and listening to music at the same time.

13. Alternate care

It is the ability to change the focus of attention from one stimulus to another. For example, reading a recipe and preparing food.

14. Sustained attention

It refers to when we have to use attention for a long period of time. For example, when playing a video game.

15. Concentration

Concentration is reduced external attention, it is the ability of a person to centralize their attention in a sustained and constant way. Its applications are many.

• You can know them in the article "The importance of concentration and focus of attention in sport”

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