science

definition of distraction

The word distraction has two meanings. It is said that there is a distraction when a person stops paying attention in an activity. It is also used in another sense, when someone is entertained by doing an activity that is pleasant and enjoyable.

Having a distraction is something that happens very frequently in daily life and is a totally everyday act. Distraction occurs in relation to the phenomenon of attention. Psychology studies all kinds of human behavior and attention is analyzed because it is decisive in any intellectual activity. Through the senses we perceive what surrounds us. External stimuli and the ability to perceive are the two elements involved in attention. Let us place ourselves imaginatively in a classroom. We are a student who listens to the history teacher. Through perception, our senses participate in paying attention to the teacher's words. After a few minutes, our interest decreases because what the teacher tells us is boring. Well, the moment in which attention is diminished or altered is precisely the distraction.

What elements cause distraction in attention? The most frequent is the lack of intensity of the stimulus. But there are many other aspects that can cause distraction: lack of interest, mood, repetition of the message, size of the observed element and all kinds of external and internal factors that participate in the attention process.

Every day we receive advertising messages. In a few seconds these messages try to capture our interest and each element of the ad is designed to attract the attention of the consumer: images, music, colors, words ... Advertisers know well the techniques so that attention is maintained without any distraction by part of potential buyers. A good advertising message is one that translates into economic benefits for the brand being advertised and, ultimately, the effectiveness of the advertisement will depend on the level of consumer distraction. If there is no distraction, the attention is intense, the ad is assimilated and the product is consumed.

In the last decades there has been a lot of talk about a problem that affects distraction. It is the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (known by the acronym ADHD). It is a situation typical of the school period. There are children who are very easily distracted and this behavior affects their school performance. Specialists in human behavior (especially psychologists and psychiatrists) try to correct this problem. There is no general agreement on the factors that trigger ADHD, although different aspects seem to be involved (genetic, environmental factors, and even high sugar consumption).

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