A When we pay attention to something, it means that we are not paying attention to something else. The reason else. The reason why we select what we do, is usually the product of several factors, some internal, some environment.
(a) Internal Factors. All of us differ in terms of our needs, motives, interests, desires etc.; and each of us will tend to perceived what is in accordance with our needs, motives, and interests. If we are hungry, we will notice restaurant signs and we will detect food smells which might otherwise go unnoticed, We tend to pay attention to what intrest us. Sometimes we distort things so that they will fit what we want. We see what we want to see, and sometimes we hear what we want to hear. To a person who feels very threatened or insecure, everything will appear to be a potential source of danger. If we are in a house alone at night suddenly we feel uncomfortable or nervous, every little noise will reinforce our fear, although the same noises in broad daylight would sound perfectly normal and harmless if we paid any attention at all. In a way, we all have nets in our heads. These nets of course are made not of threads but of all the things that make each of us a unique person: our physiological make up, our motivations, aspirations, and needs act as filters. The stimulations from our environment have to pass through these filters before they are perceived. Each of us has our own filter. It is important to rember that whenever we make a comment about something, we are describing not the thing, but rather our net or our filter.
(b)Environmental Factors. The environmental factors include influence such as intensity, size, contract, repetition, movement, familiarity and novelty.
1. Intensity. The more intense a stimulation, the more likely we will perceive it. A loud noise in a silent room, or a very bright light in a dark street, usually commands our attention. Advertisers capitalize on this when they use particularly bright packing or television commercials slightly louder than regular programming. The army sergeant shouts commands, and many a teacher finds himself or herself yelling at an unruly class to get the students' attention.
2. Size. The principle of size quite simple. The larger something is, the more likely it will capture our attention. A full- page newspaper spread is catchier than the fine print of the classified ads. To most of us, bigger is better.
3. Contrast. Things that stand out against a highly contrasting background are usually quite noticeable. Safety signs with black lettering against a yellow background, or white lettering against red, catch or attention.
4. Repetition. A repeated stimulus often draws greater attention than a single one. This is particularly true in dull contexts where our attention may be waning. Advertisers know well that a repeated may be warning. Advertisers know well that a repeated short message is more effective than a longer message with a one-time exposure.
5. Movement. We tend to pay more attention to a moving object in our field of vision than to the same object when it is stationary. Again, advertisers use this principle when they incorporate moving parts into otherwise still signs. The flashing or rotating lights of the cars or of ambulances are designed to command attention.
6. Familiarity and Novelty. The principle of familiarity and novelty may simply be an extension of the contrast principle. in familiar surroundings are likely to draw our attention, just as familiar things is an unfamiliar environment will stand out. The idea of job rotation is based on this principle. Changing jobs periodically may do much to increase the attention of a worker who is otherwise dulled by routine and familiar activities.