Cognitive Science News: Paying Attention to Attention Pays

The human brain is still the most complex computer ever. But with age, of course, it slows down. For instance, take our ability to stay focused. In this age of attention-grabbing advertising, news alerts, sudden incoming calls and text messages on our cell phones… just keeping our minds on whatever it was we were doing prior to being interrupted is becoming evermore challenging.

Most of us have difficulty focusing on our work. Indeed, when left uninterrupted, we’re likely to interrupt ourselves. Just try William James’s 1890 attention experiment by drawing a dot on a piece of paper and focusing on it for 30 minutes. How long do you suppose it’ll be before your mind wanders? Ten seconds? Twenty?

Still reading this blog post? Now that’s paying attention!

According to Winifred Gallagher, author of the new book Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life, “there’s no simple on-off switch for sustained attention. It’s a series of complex mental processes working simultaneously, engaging the brain’s memory, emotions, motivation and evolutionary instincts, all with different, often competing agendas.”

What’s new in cognitive science to help you pay better attention?

Just Google ‘attention brain training games’ and select any of the 1.5 million results to choose from. According to the research firm, Sharpbrains, the brain fitness software market took in a whopping $265 million in 2008, and judging by the mind-boggling rate in which the industry’s growing, it’s clear somebody’s paying attention.

Steve Daitch is the Social Media Manager at Mind360.com – a leading scientific brain training games developer for boosting your memory, attention, executive functions, reasoning, and other key cognitive skills. As a Mind360 visitor you simply select your own Personal Training Program, which comes complete with a personal coach and constant feedback to ensure your swift and visible progress.