Question

Answer the following questions in detail:

With the help of your own examples explain the difference between distraction of attention and fluctuation of attention.

Answer 1

1. The distraction of attention: After focusing on a specific stimulus, our attention may drift towards another stimulus due to some external or internal disturbances. This is known as the distraction of attention. Example: While eating, our attention may get distracted if a doorbell rings (external factor) or it may drift due to anxiousness (internal factor).
2. The fluctuation of attention: We cannot pay attention to a single stimulus for a long period of time. Our attention shifts towards other stimulus for a fraction of time and comes back to the original stimulus. This is known as the fluctuation of attention.
   Example: When we are paying attention to eating, our attention may temporarily shift to a crow sitting on the branch of a tree outside our window and then again we pay attention to eating.