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Kendra's Psychology Blog

By Kendra Van Wagner, About.com Guide to Psychology since 2005

Attention - Psychology Definition of the Week

Wednesday April 1, 2009

Definition: According to psychologist and philosopher William James, attention "is the taking possession of the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what may seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thoughts…It implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others"

Read More: What is Attention?

Image courtesy Piotr Bizior

Comments

April 3, 2009 at 3:18 pm
(1) Jeff Carreira says:

Most of James’s work was based in his understanding of attention and its relationship to action. I am fascinated by James and highly recommend deeper reading of him to anyone interested in psychology and the human mind.

April 4, 2009 at 10:21 pm
(2) Melissa Lea Brown says:

Focus comes to mind…

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