Attentional control

Attentional control, colloquially referred to as concentration, refers to an individual's capacity to choose what they pay attention to and what they ignore.^[1] It is also known as endogenous attention or executive attention. In lay terms, attentional control can be described as an individual's ability to concentrate. Primarily mediated by the frontal areas of the brain including the anterior cingulate cortex, attentional control and attentional shifting are thought to be closely related to other executive functions such as working memory.^[2]^[3]

^ Astle, D. E.; Scerif, G. (2009). "Using Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience to Study Behavioral and Attentional Control". Developmental Psychobiology. 51 (2): 107–118. doi:10.1002/dev.20350. PMID 18973175.
^ Posner, M. I.; Petersen, S. E. (1990). "The attention system of the human brain". Annual Review of Neuroscience. 13: 25–42. doi:10.1146/annurev.ne.13.030190.000325. PMID 2183676. S2CID 2995749.
^ Astle, D. E.; Scerif, G. (2011). "Interactions between attention and visual short-term memory (VSTM): What can be learnt from individual and developmental differences?". Neuropsychologia. 49 (6): 1435–1445. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.12.001. PMID 21185321. S2CID 5429116.

[Astle_2009-1] Astle, D. E.; Scerif, G. (2009). "Using Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience to Study Behavioral and Attentional Control". Developmental Psychobiology. 51 (2): 107–118. doi:10.1002/dev.20350. PMID 18973175.

[posner_peterson_1990-2] Posner, M. I.; Petersen, S. E. (1990). "The attention system of the human brain". Annual Review of Neuroscience. 13: 25–42. doi:10.1146/annurev.ne.13.030190.000325. PMID 2183676. S2CID 2995749.

[3] Astle, D. E.; Scerif, G. (2011). "Interactions between attention and visual short-term memory (VSTM): What can be learnt from individual and developmental differences?". Neuropsychologia. 49 (6): 1435–1445. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.12.001. PMID 21185321. S2CID 5429116.

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