Aufmerksamkeit

Aufmerksamkeit, in English often translated as attention, is a cognitive process that enables a person to selectively focus on specific information while ignoring others. It supports perception, action planning, and learning by determining what information is currently processed in depth. The concept encompasses several interrelated functions, including orienting to a stimulus, sustaining focus over time, selectively filtering distractions, and dividing attention across tasks.

Within cognitive psychology, attention is described through multiple types. Orienting refers to selecting particular spatial locations or sensory modalities. Sustained attention, or vigilance, is the capacity to maintain focus during prolonged activity. Selective attention involves prioritizing relevant signals in the presence of competing inputs, while divided attention concerns the distribution of cognitive resources across simultaneous tasks. Executive control allows monitoring and shifting attention as goals change.

Theoretical models have evolved from early filters to dynamic resource and network-based accounts. Early models proposed a hierarchical filter that gates information; later theories allowed some unattended input to be processed, with selection occurring at different stages. Contemporary views emphasize distributed brain networks, notably the dorsal frontoparietal network for goal-directed attention and the ventral network for stimulus-driven reorienting. The thalamus, including the pulvinar, modulates sensory processing and attentional selection.

Clinical and developmental aspects include the maturation of attentional control in childhood and disorders such as ADHD, hemispatial neglect after parietal damage, and Balint syndrome. Attention is also central to education, design, safety, and everyday activities, where managing attentional load can influence performance and well-being.