Advantage & Disadvantages of Attention

 Advantages: The advantages of attention are relatively clear. By paying attention, a person in able to place information in working memory storage. By placing information into a working memory storage the person is able to recall this information when needed.

 Disadvantages: A person has a limited capacity for attention. "Psychologists proposed that people can pay attention to only one thing at a time." (Ormrod, 2008, p. 175)

For example: The Peter-Paul goblet.

Early Gesalt psychologists developed the theory that a person can only pay attention to one object at a time. Carefully inspect this picture, does your attention focus on the goblet or the two faces?

Another disadvantage to attention is that many people have problems with attention due to excessive active or impulsiveness. (Barkley & Murphy, 2006) Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is a disorder that psychologists are just starting to fully understand. Most children are diagnosed with ADHD at an early age. Treatment options for ADHD vary depending on the severity of the disorder, ranging from medications to counseling.

Here is a link to the Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) magazine, it is very informative- http://www.chadd.org/Content/CHADD/AttentionMagazine/default.htm

Also, here is a link to the Attention Deficit Disorder Association website-http://www.add.org/site/PageServer

Reference

Barkley, R. & Murphy, K. (2006). Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (3rd ed.). Guilford         Publications: New York, NY.

Ormrod, J. (2008). Human Learning (5th ed.). Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ.