Attention in a Social World

The study of attention is central to psychology. In this work, Michael Posner, a pioneer in attention research, presents the science of attention in a larger social context, which includes our ability to voluntarily choose and act upon an object of thought. The volume is based on fifty years of research involving behavioral, imaging, developmental, and genetic methods. It describes three brain networks of attention that carry out the functions of obtaining and maintaining the alert state, orienting to sensory events, and regulating responses. The book ties these brain networks to anatomy, connectivity, development, and socialization and includes material on pathologies that involve attentional networks, as well as their role in education and social interaction.
"Posner helps bridge the old and the new. He makes connections between traditional areas of study in social psychology--namely, attention-- and advances in neuroscience that "map" out how individuals obtain and maintain alertness, regulate responses, and respond to social stimuli. Summing up: Essential." -- R.E. Osborne, Texas State University- San Marcos

INTRODUCTION ; 1. THE ATTENTION SYSTEM OF THE HUMAN BRAIN ; 2: THE ALERTING NETWORK ; 3. ORIENTING OF ATTENTION ; 4. EXECUTIVE NETWORK AND SELF-REGULATION ; 5. DEVELOPMENT OF ATTENTION NETWORKS ; 6. ATTENTION AND SOCIETY ; 7. CONCLUDING REMARKS ; INDEX