ABSTRACT
Attention and learning are inexorably linked. Put simply, it is necessary to attend, in order to learn efficiently. Furthermore, the more attention that is given to learning and training, the better are the results for retention and transfer. Hence, distraction, or divided attention away from learning/training material is undesirable. This commonsense dictum is manifest in many forms, but some of these forms are not entirely intuitive, as discussed in other chapters and below, as they are reflected in a variety of attention-related training strategies. Some strategies designed to increase the amount of attention devoted to learning material can backfire; correspondingly, others designed to reduce the attention demands of learning can have similar unanticipated and undesirable consequences.
