Sihtnooltatud

Sihtnooltatud is a coinage used in discussions of Estonian cognitive science and linguistics to describe a hypothetical state of goal-directed attention in which cognitive resources are allocated toward pursuing a specific target.

The word is formed from siht (Estonian for target or aim) and nooltatud (a past participle-like form related to nool 'arrow'), noting the metaphor of aiming at a target.

Sihtnooltatud refers to both the orientation of perception and the selective activation of relevant representations to support a goal. It is distinguished from general attention by its tightly coupled relationship to a defined objective and its persistence in the presence of distractors.

In theoretical discussions, sihtnooltatud is used to describe tasks like visual search with explicit target templates, planning scenarios, or user-interface interactions where users maintain a clear objective.

Some scholars view the term as redundant with existing concepts such as goal-directed attention and task-driven processing, arguing it adds little descriptive power unless precisely operationalized. Others see potential for cross-language cognitive terminology.

As of 2026, sihtnooltatud remains a niche term without widespread scholarly consensus or formal definition in major dictionaries or journals.