Attention vs. selective attention

[Boots]

What's the difference?

They both focus on specific stimuli while ignoring others?

[Spreadbury]

I believe selective attention involves selective (and consciously) choosing what we decide to focus on and as a result our focus of awareness is only a limited range of what we are capable of experiencing

[Boots]

huh?

[Spreadbury]

well in normal waking consciousness we have more control over what we allow into our consciousness (we are selective over what we allow into our consciousness)

I think of it more like this: attention is more just a broad definition, it is a concentration of mental activity that involves focussing on certain stimuli while ignoring others.

selective attention is a type of attention. we are more selective (choosy) about what we focus on.

I doubt you'd get a question in the exam that'd ask you to distinguish between attention and selective attention. there are two types of attention, selective and divided. if you got a question about attention (disregarding selective or divided) it'd probably just ask you to define it.

in short; selective attention: (this is just my interpretation, someone else may know better) we choose (select) to focus our attention (or mental activity if you prefer) on specific stimuli while ignoring others

but as i said, selective attention is a type of attention and you'd probably only be asked to define attention if it came up...  this reply just did a full circle, sorry

[littlebecc]

It goes
Attention
under that: selected & divided attention

'Attention' is like the heading

[Boots]

I'm just concerned that if they did ask to define 'attention' how would they know that I am actually defining it rather than defining selective attention cos' they are practically the same

In grivas:
Attention: concentration of mental activity that involves focussing on specific stimuli and ignoring other stimuli
Selctive attention: selectively attending to certain stimuli while ignoring other stimuli

So would I say that attention is a 'concentration activity' and based on this I can distinguish it from selective attention?

[Spreadbury]

I have selective attention defined in my notes as "selectively attending to certain stimuli while ignoring other stimuli. at any given moment the focus of our awareness is only a limited range of what we are capable of experiencing"