Myths
‘Attention is a battery that runs down’
In shortAttention is less a tank that runs dry and more a set of choices about what to give weight to.
The idea
We talk about attention as an amount that runs out. Research describes it instead as a set of operations: giving more weight to some signals than others, keeping what matters apart from what doesn’t, updating what is expected. A child can be paying a lot of attention, but to the wrong thing for the task, or to what they expect rather than what is in front of them.
What to try
- Say what matters now and what can be ignored.
- When the child is distracted, ask what they were paying attention to.
The common mistake
Asking for ‘more attention’ without saying to what.
Want to know more?
Start here
Short, plain pieces by the researchers and good writers.
Books
How the predictive brain shapes what we see, feel and do, with many everyday examples.
See on Amazon ›Amazon links are affiliate links: if you buy, Bounded Uncertainty receives a small commission at no cost to you.
The science behind itHow strong the evidence is, the model, videos and references.
How strong the evidence is
Promising Good studies, but little tested with children at home or school, or the step to daily life is our interpretation.
References
- Feldman, H., & Friston, K. J. (2010). Attention, uncertainty, and free-energy. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 4, 215.
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