CHAPTER
‘Every one knows what attention is’, said William James in 1890.It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one
out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of
thought. Focalization, concentration, of consciousness are of its essence.
It implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with
others.(1890, i, pp. 403–404)‘No one knows what attention is’, said the psychologist Harold Pashler in 1998 (p.
1). ‘There is no such thing as attention’, said the psychologist Britt Anderson in
- The things that seem obvious about attention and those that get us hope-
lessly confused are most apparent of all when we ask how attention relates to
consciousness.
The very familiarity of the concept of attention can make it hard to think about
clearly, but perhaps we should start with how it feels. The metaphor of the ‘spot-
light of attention’ comes easily to mind because paying attention feels this way –
like directing a light on some things and not others. Perhaps it feels as though
attention makes things brighter, more prominent, or more focused.
These notions have a long history. Writing a little before James, the Scottish
metaphysician Sir William Hamilton wrote that ‘Attention is consciousness and
something more; [. . .] it is consciousness concentrated’ (Hamilton, 1895, p. 941).
‘Every one knows what
attention is’(James, 1890, i, p. 403)‘No one knows what
attention is’(Pashler, 1998, p. 1)Attention