The Concept Of Attention And Multitasking

Attention and Multitasking with Audiences
Concept of Attention
If a motivational speaker asked me to help grab the attention of an audience, I would ask questions to provide thoughts and suggestions on the presentation for regarding attention, multitasking, and retaining the audience’s attention, as well as address the influences of multitasking. The word “attention” is used in many different situations, everyday. Attention is an interesting word.
How is attention defined? Attention is a difficult word to define, but it is mainly defined from the dictionary as the “act of close or careful observing or listening”, or “the ability to keep the mind on something, the ability to concentrate” (n.a., n.d.). The word attention is also used in

Multitasking is defined as doing more than one thing at one time. Multitasking should be avoided when people should be paying attention. An example of multitasking is when people talk on a cellphone or are texting when they are driving, and that should be avoided! Other times when multitasking should be avoided is when there is a person speaking and people are paying more attention to their phone than to the speaker.
When is it okay to multitask? It is okay to multitask when someone is listening to a teacher or a speaker, and they are taking notes from what the teacher or speaker is saying, or typing notes on a computer. It may be easier to read computer notes than handwritten notes. Yet, there are times when people may get distracted if they are looking to see what may come next in the presentation.
How a Speaker Can Get the Audience’s Attention
There are many ways to get the attention of an audience. The speaker could tell a story that is personal and on topic, along with using voice infection and variation. The speaker should also be sure that the presentation will “have interesting, relevant, and up-to-date information on the topic that is being presented” (Keogh, 2015). Visuals, such as graphs and photos or animated graphics, are also a way to get the audience’s attention. One suggestion to get the audience’s attention is to have the speaker move around, if possible, and ask the audience questions, not just stand in

These design principles may use color variations to communicate or show emphasis, hierarchy or structure (Keogh, 2015).
Design Principles to Promote Attention and Information Retention
When using slides, color contrast is another excellent way for a speaker to catch the audience’s attention! The C.R.A.P. design principles also can use shapes and symbols to convey a message. Visual elements using the four basic design principles are probably the most important pieces of information that should be carried through the presentation. Using visual elements, such as infographics, can contribute to how information can be remembered or memorized easiest by the audience. Images or infographics are great tools when promoting attention and retaining information. Images that are easy to comprehend, involve forming visual memories. They reinforce the process of memory recall and visual elements (Keogh,