ABSTRACT
All of the actions we carry out that are not based on overlearned routines must be controlled by functions that can be summarized under the concept of ‘attention’. Every moment that we experience consciously is determined by the information that the attentional system has filtered and conveyed. As discussed earlier (see Chapter 2), there is no conceivable cognitive or nonautomatic practical action that is not under the control of the attentional system. When we explore our environment, even if only to take a closer look, when we move through space in order to reach a goal or to avoid an obstacle, when we make a coordinated movement or adjust the accuracy of a manipulation, when we follow a conversation or contemplate what we want to say, when we plan a sequence in a series of actions or look for the solution to a problem, the efficiency of our behaviour is determined by the capacity of the attentional system. As said before, attention functions can be considered fundamental processes. When we are inattentive, ‘unconcentrated’, a number of things that go on around us escape our notice. We get distracted and digress, we do not remember details afterwards. Practical actions get difficult, and we make mistakes. Thus, impairments in attentional functions have farreaching consequences for an individual’s participation in almost every area of life: everyday activities, education, work, traffic, and nearly every other conceivable activity (see Chapter 2).
