The connection between attention and consciousness is an intimate one. Although these psychological terms are sometimes used synonymously in informal speech and writing, they are very distinct. Consciousness is, quite simply, the state of being aware. Attention, on the other hand, requires the processing capacity of the brain to be consciously directed toward filtering or separating out of incoming, competing information.
At its most basic, physiologically speaking, consciousness is the state of being awake, or not unconscious. Consciousness also differs from subconsciousness in that the person who is in a state of consciousness can directly access and report his or her mental experiences. For a functioning human being, consciousness is a normal, natural state, and generally no effort is required to achieve it.
Attention can be best illustrated by the classic “cocktail party phenomenon,” which demonstrates how a person, in a room full of people speaking, can focus on one single conversation. Both consciousness and effort are required to achieve attention. In other words, one can be fully conscious but not paying attention, but one can’t be paying attention without being conscious.
Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology that studies the higher mental processes, such as attention, consciousness, reasoning, language and memory. It is within this discipline that a discussion of the connection between attention and consciousness can most readily be found. In terms of attention, cognitive psychologists seek to define when the filtering process begins and ends and when selective attention is engaged. Sustained consciousness might be considered effortless and endless as long as the person is wide awake, but sustained, vigilant attention for more than 20 minutes is very difficult to maintain. Cognitive psychologists place limits on consciousness, stressing that consciousness can be restricted to specific levels of processing.
There is considerable scholarly debate regarding the theoretical connection between attention and consciousness, and many theories are distinctly opposed. For example, although many scholars agree that attention and consciousness are distinct, some argue that without attention, conscious perception is impossible. Others argue that attention is possible without consciousness and say that experimental data backs up their claims.
To a certain extent, the disparate theories, however interesting and worthwhile, are arguments over semantics. From a practical or layman’s point of view, the connection between attention and consciousness is like the difference between diffused light and focused light. A person might consciously turn on a flashlight to see what is in a dark place, then focus the beam of light to take a closer look at something that has caught his or her attention.
