SPOT THE DIFFERENCES

ANSWERS
SPOT THE DIFFERENCES
ANSWERS
 WHAT IS
SOMETHING
THAT MAKES
YOU MORE
VIGILANT?
HOW LONG
DOES YOUR
ATTENTION
LASTS?
 WHAT IS
SOMETHING
THAT MAKES
YOU EASILY
LOSE
ATTENTION?
 WHAT
FACTORS
THAT
CONTRIBUTE
TO A REDUCE
ATTENTION?
VIGILANCE AND
SUSTAINED
ATTENTION
JOBEN | ELEGINO
TOPICS
Vigilance and Sustained Attention
Vigilance Decrement
4 Main Functions of Attention
Types of Attention
Theories of Vigilance
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD)
INTRODUCTION

Staying alert and focused is crucial for

productivity and safety, and for optimal
cognitive performance.
 VIGILANCE

Vigilance, or sustained attention, refers to the ability to monitor displays for stimulus events
over prolonged periods of time.

The term ‘vigilance’ as applied to human behavior was coined by Sir Henry Head (1923),
who referred to it as a state of maximum physiological and psychological readiness to react.

However, the origin of modern vigilance research, as in many other areas of human factors,
was in the Second World War.
 VIGILANCE
DECREMENT

A decrease in vigilance over time is often observed when performing prolonged tasks, a
phenomenon known as “vigilance decrement”.

The vigilance decrement is usually observed as a progressive slowness in responses as

well as a drop in the correct detection on infrequent critical signals (i.e., hits) with time-on-
task.
 4 MAIN
FUNCTIONS OF
ATTENTION
01 Signal detection - we detect the appearance of a particular stimulus.

02 Selective attention - we choose to attend to some stimuli and to ignore others.

Divided detection - we prudently allocate our available attentional resources to

03 coordinate our performance of more than one task at a time.

04 Search - we often engage in an active search for a particular stimuli.

 TYPES OF
ATTENTION

Voluntary Attention - deliberately concentrating mental process.

Involuntary Attention - physical properties of objects determine involuntary attention.

Habitual Attention - attention becomes more automatic with the passes of time.
 THEORIES OF
VIGILANCE

01 INHIBITION THEORY
03 AROUSAL THEORY

02 EXPECTANCY THEORY
04 RESOURCE THEORY
 INHIBITION
THEORY

According to this perspective, vigilance declines because of a progressive rise in response inhibition.

Data were reported that were consistent with this view, that knowledge of results (‘reinforcement’)
increases detection responses, and that performance improves after brief rest periods, presumably a
reflection of dissipation of inhibition.

In addition, introducing a novel stimulus event can re-establish vigilance levels, a process known as
disinhibition
 EXPECTANCY
THEORY

The theory, first presented by Baker (1959), asserts that observers’ expectancies regarding signal
events often differ from reality, and this discrepancy accounts for the response patterns observed in
vigilance experiments.

Thus, observers adjust their level of responses (and thereby their level of detections) according to the
perceived signal frequency and their prior experiences on the task or similar tasks.

Although this theory still has utility in explaining response bias effects and responses by observers to
changes in signal and event rate, it does not provide a complete explanation for vigilance effects.
 AROUSAL
THEORY

According to this view, an individual’s level of vigilance depends on their arousal, and the performance
decrement results from under-arousal resulting from the under stimulating environment of the vigilance
task.

Arousal theory cannot account for the high stress levels associated with vigilance.

In addition, because arousal theory argues that vigilance tasks are under-arousing, the mental workload
associated with such tasks should be low,
 RESOURCE
THEORY

Resource theory emerged as an alternative to arousal theory, and it was adopted as a theory of
vigilance.

According to resource theory, an individual’s vigilance depends on the mental capacities or ‘resources’
that can be allocated to the task.

According to this theory, the performance decrement occurs because individuals expend resources for
maintaining attention at a rate faster than they can be replenished.
 ATTENTION DEFICIT
HYPERACTIVITY
DISORDER

People with ADHD have difficulties in focusing

their attention in ways that enable them to
adapt in optimal ways to their environment.
 ATTENTION DEFICIT
HYPERACTIVITY
DISORDER
People with ADHD show several distinctive symptoms.
They are easily distracted by irrelevant sights and sounds.
They often fail to pay attention to details.
They are susceptible to making careless mistakes in their
work.
They often fail to read instructions completely or carefully.
They are susceptible to forgetting or losing things they
need for tasks.
They tend to jump from one incomplete tasks to another.

ADHD is most often treated with a combination of

psychotherapy and drugs.
QUESTION
TIME
THANK YOU
For your attention