Applied Attention Theory

Eye witness testimony, training, driving, and display design: these are just a few of the real-world domains in which attention is manifested. Emphasizing the link between theory and application, Applied Attention Theory provides a deep understanding of how theories of attention, developed from laboratory-based psychological research, can inform our understanding of everyday human performance in a wide number of applications and environments. The basic theories discussed concern divided, focused, and selective attention, and areas of application include mental workload measurement, multi-tasking, distracted driving, complex display design, education, and the training of attentional skills.The book highlights explicit links between theory and applications, such as single channel theory and measurement of mental workload, attention capture and the design of alarms, and object-based attention and the design of complex displays. The authors maintain this balance between theory and practice as they explore the application of the theory and the value of good science underlying attentional phenomena in the applied human factors areas of design and measurement.