Effortless Attention: A New Perspective in the Cognitive Science of Attention and Action

by Brian Bruya (Editor)

The phenomena of effortless attention and action and the challenges they pose to current cognitive models of attention and action. This is the first book to explore the cognitive science of effortless attention and action. Attention and action are generally understood to require effort, and the expectation is that under normal circumstances effort increases to meet rising demand. Sometimes, however, attention and action seem to flow effortlessly despite high demand. Effortless attention and action have been documented across a range of normal activities—ranging from rock climbing to chess playing—and yet fundamental questions about the cognitive science of effortlessness have gone largely unasked. This book draws from the disciplines of cognitive psychology, neurophysiology, behavioral psychology, genetics, philosophy, and cross-cultural studies. Starting from the premise that the phenomena of effortless attention and action provide an opportunity to test current models of attention and action, leading researchers from around the world examine topics including effort as a cognitive resource, the role of effort in decision-making, the neurophysiology of effortless attention and action, the role of automaticity in effortless action, expert performance in effortless action, and the neurophysiology and benefits of attentional training. Contributors
Joshua M. Ackerman, James H. Austin, John A. Bargh Roy F. Baumeister, Sian L. Beilock, Chris Blais, Matthew M. Botvinick, Brian Bruya, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Marci S. DeCaro, Arne Dietrich, Yuri Dormashev, László Harmat, Bernhard Hommel, Rebecca Lewthwaite, Örjan de Manzano, Joseph T. McGuire, Brian P. Meier, Arlen C. Moller, Jeanne Nakamura, Michael I. Posner, Mary K. Rothbart, M.R. Rueda, Brandon J. Schmeichel, Edward Slingerland, Oliver Stoll, Yiyuan Tang, Töres Theorell, Fredrik Ullén, Gabriele Wulf

Genres: Psychology, Adhd, Nonfiction, Neuroscience

449 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2010

About the author

Brian J. Bruya considers himself a bridge between East and West, presenting and interpreting ideas from ancient traditions that are relevant for theory and life today. Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Michigan University, he received his B.A. in Philosophy and Chinese from the University of Washington and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Hawaii, the world's center of gravity for comparative philosophy. He has been a Fulbright Scholar and Templeton Fellow.

Reviews

[Naveen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is basically a concatenation of various papers in the field, so I read a few chapters I found interesting. Key insights:

- Humans instinctively coordinate their goals/actions with the people they observe around them - executing on socially-inferred goals tends to feel effortless
- Perfectionism can actually improve your mental health if you use positive-striving perfectionism (having high standards, focusing on developing expertise in a skill) and eliminate self-critical perfectionism (concern over mistakes and negative feelings, comparison to others)
- The "indirect" path to effortlessness is to focus on doing something as well as possible, and this will cause the task to become effortless as an indirect consequence.
- Other things that cause effort to feel effortless include higher mood, lower stress, and lower stress during difficult tasks, so it's worthwhile to invest in improving these factors.

[M87 · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent review of scientific and other literature on the subject of Effortless Attention & Action. You don't need to be a expert in cognitive science to follow the different essays but some mathematical and scientific background is essential to fully appreciate it. I picked up the book, hoping against hope that it will contain some magic information that will transform my life into a state of permanent 'flow' but those kind of expectations are unrealistic. The field definitely has potential for growth because so many models exist that can be tested in the near future. If you are a generally curious person, you will enjoy the book.

[Travis Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

slightly repetitious. Thorough, but repetitive.