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A critical analysis of William James's statement on attention
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A critical analysis of William James's statement on attention "Everyone knows what attention is. 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. Focalisation, concentration, of consciousness are if its essence. It implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others, and is a condition which has a real opposite in the confused, dazed, scatter-brained state which in French is called distraction, and Zerstreutheit in German." William James, 1890. James appears to be right when he describes anyone in this condition is not paying attention. When describing attention as the mind's taking possession of an object "in clear and vivid form", we are given a description that best suits the highest level of attention. This view, from the era of introspectionism, has since been empirically researched, and therefore in...
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