As a crucial first step in learning and remembering, teachers urge students to “pay attention.” But just what is involved in paying attention? In the last issue, we examined long-term potentiation and memory. Working memory accepts, stores, and manipulates information about our internal and external world. With attention we focus on salient input while ignoring the competing, extraneous input. Relevant information in working memory becomes the basis for decisions and actions (Knudsen, 2007). Additionally, attention is important for regulating emotions and behavior.
Genes and environment influence attention. Animal studies have identified two alleles of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene important in memory. One allele group of animals performed less well on learning and memory tests. Brain imaging revealed significant differences between the two groups’ hippocampi, an area critical to memory storage and retrieval (Posner et al., 2012). Training (an environmental influence) given to children suffering...
University of California Press