divided attention

USAGE SUMMARY

"divided attention" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when talking about someone who is distracted by two or more things at the same time. For example: "The student was struggling with her task because of her divided attention between her notes and the presentation on the screen."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Simple and divided attention, and attentional control were tested using the Attentional Matrices and Trail Making Test [ 57].

BMC Geriatrics

Lolli accepted his divided attention as punishment for having another boy's baby.

The New York Times - Magazine

Mr. Bush's other problem may be one of divided attention span.

The New York Times

"But as demand for one modality increases, divided attention weakens," he said.

The New York Times

The roles of the peptide in selective, and in divided, attention have been investigated.

Advances in Pharmacology

However, independent of pain, threat did moderate performance on the divided attention task.

PAIN®

In the test of divided attention, patients had fewer false reactions after orexin-A administration.

Behavioural Brain Research

Furthermore, there was a trend in immediate recall (CVLT), divided attention and working memory.

International Journal of Bipolar Disorders

It included three subtests, assessing processing speed, divided attention, and selective attention.

European Transport Research Review

The results revealed that the early blind participants outperformed the sighted ones in selective, sustained and divided attention and working memory tests, and the late blind participants outperformed the sighted participants in selective, sustained and divided attention.

Acta Psychologica

Posting provocative stuff online to make a play for people's extremely divided attention works.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about cognitive performance, use "divided attention" to specifically refer to the ability to allocate attentional resources to multiple tasks or stimuli simultaneously. This term is commonly used in scientific literature and provides a precise description.

Common error

Avoid using "multitasking" interchangeably with "divided attention" in scientific contexts. "Multitasking" is a more general term, while "divided attention" refers to the specific cognitive process of distributing attention between multiple tasks or stimuli. Use "multitasking" in informal contexts but maintain precision in academic writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "divided attention" functions as a noun phrase, often used as a subject or object in sentences describing cognitive processes or abilities. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

85%

News & Media

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "divided attention" is a well-established term referring to the cognitive process of allocating attentional resources to multiple tasks or stimuli simultaneously. Ludwig AI validates its proper grammatical standing and usage across various domains, primarily in scientific and news-related content. It's crucial to use this term with precision, especially in academic settings, differentiating it from the more general concept of "multitasking". While alternatives like "scattered focus" or "multitasking" exist, "divided attention" offers a specific and technical description suitable for formal writing and scientific discourse. The high frequency and authoritative sources underscore its importance in understanding cognitive function and its limitations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Scattered focus

This alternative emphasizes the diffusion of attention across multiple stimuli or tasks.

Multitasking

This term highlights the act of handling multiple tasks simultaneously, which often involves dividing attention.

Attentional diffusion

This phrase suggests a spreading out of attentional resources.

Diffused focus

Similar to scattered focus, but may imply a more systemic lack of concentration.

Conjoint attention

Focuses on managing tasks at the same time, often at the cost of effectiveness.

Fragmented attention

This emphasizes the broken or incomplete nature of attention when it is divided.

Shared attentional resources

Highlights how limited attentional capacity is distributed among competing tasks.

Parallel processing

This term refers to the brain's ability to process multiple streams of information concurrently, requiring divided attention.

Dual-tasking

Emphasizes performing two tasks simultaneously, a common experimental paradigm to study divided attention.

Simultaneous task management

Focuses on the management aspect of tasks being done at the same time which requires divided attention.

FAQs

How is "divided attention" assessed in research?

Researchers often use dual-task paradigms to assess "divided attention", where participants perform two tasks simultaneously. Performance on these tasks is then compared to single-task performance to measure the cost of dividing attention.

What are some synonyms for "divided attention"?

While not perfect substitutes, related terms include "scattered focus", "multitasking", and "attentional diffusion". The best choice depends on the specific context.

How does "divided attention" relate to working memory?

"Divided attention" relies heavily on working memory, as it requires holding and manipulating information related to multiple tasks simultaneously. Deficits in working memory can impair "divided attention" abilities.

What factors can affect "divided attention"?

Factors such as age, fatigue, stress, and certain medical conditions can negatively impact "divided attention". Additionally, practice and training can improve an individual's ability to divide their attention effectively.