[Hans Blom, 960130b]
(i.kurtzer (960126.1430))
... last night i found myself introspecting about the subject of
attentional focus and control and came to the following conclusions
A very worthwhile book about these matters is Kahneman's "Attention
and Effort", which I'm reading at the moment. He reviews a great
number of psychological studies and confirms some of your introspect-
ive conclusions but disconfirms others. For instance
c) upon realizing the digression i always return to the matter prior
as far as my focus of attention.
Sometimes, after I've driven home from work and stop my car in front
of the house, I am surprised to find myself there already. Obviously
I then don't go back to driving but get out of the car and enter the
house.
More about this subject can be found in the extensive literature that
documents the differences (in perception, action, and way of
thinking) between novices and experts. Experts have been defined as
"those who don't think but do", although this is quite incorrect in
my opinion. It is correct, however, that the expert's way of thinking
does not demand conscious attention. Attention seems to have to do
with solving unexpected, unanticipated problems -- which true experts
seldomly have within their field of expertise, of course.
You are obviously an expert in driving, but once in a while an
unanticipated problem still demands your full attention. That comes
as something like an experience of surprise, which I equate with the
experience of having an inadequate model of the situation, with the
concomitant problem of remaining in control. Others may disagree.
Anyhow, at such moments we need to invest heavily in updating our
model and reestablishing our control, to the exclusion of less
important matters. Kahneman explains this by assuming a limited
perceptual processing power. I don't (fully) agree with this. I think
that the bottleneck is in our _conscious_ awareness. I assume that we
are conscious only of the most pressing problems of the moment, even
though a lot of subconscious, expert-like processing continues to be
performed. In other words: consciousness is about our problems. About
the inadequacy of our knowledge and our behavioral repertoire. Lack
of consciousness is lack of sorrow. Shades of Zen ;-).
My two cents,
Hans Blom
There is the old story of the two golfers on the 18th hole and if "B" makes
this putt he wins the match, so "A" says to "B": "I noticed how well you
have been putting in this game. What is that you do when you putt?" Which
puts "B"s attention onto this automatic activity, and as a consequence he
flubbs it. Attention helps with the unlearned, but hinders the learned. Try
paying attention to each letter as you type.
Peter
ยทยทยท
At 12:29 PM 1/30/96 +0100, you wrote:
Experts have been defined as
"those who don't think but do", although this is quite incorrect in
my opinion. It is correct, however, that the expert's way of thinking
does not demand conscious attention. Attention seems to have to do
with solving unexpected, unanticipated problems -- which true experts
seldomly have within their field of expertise, of course.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter J. Burke Phone: 509/335-3249
Sociology Fax: 509/335-6419
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-4020 E-mail: burkep@unicorn.it.wsu.edu
------------------------------------------------------------------------
i.kurtzer (960130.1630)
i appreciate the reply, but a few points first.
[Hans Blom, 960130b]
>c) upon realizing the digression i always return to the matter prior
>as far as my focus of attention.
Sometimes, after I've driven home from work and stop my car in front
of the house, I am surprised to find myself there already. Obviously
I then don't go back to driving but get out of the car and enter the
house.
when i say "i" in this and the previous context, i mean _i_ as the
observer not as the totality of organization; in these brief digressions
i am not identifying _i_ (to which note c) applies) with my guts
churning, or my arms turning unless that is the object of _my_ thought at
_that_ moment. so when _you_ do notice that you've returned home
(question: do _you_ only notice after the car has come to halt or when
you are within a close proximity; i suspect the latter) _you_ do not
continue dawdling in the same vein of those as a moment ago, but now
"return" to the task at hand of which now one part has been completed.
(i.e. task at hand get home: part one--drive here and there according to
this and that, part two--park car in garage according to this and that,
AND get into house according to this and that).
this seems to be the case mostly, or at leats for all the cases i can
remember now.
any comments?
i.