Intellectual Production #8 – Attentional Record and Analysis

Brief

Create a table for 12 hrs, keep a record of what you paid attention to (include multitasking with specification of tasks) and for about how much of that hour you paid attention to.

Look for patterns, relationships, cause and effects, etc. to compose in whatever format/medium, a visual representation and analysis of your attentional notes.

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Preface

For this assignment, I will restructure my attentional records not on a temporal-basis (due to my inability to perceive passing time in neurotypical fashion), and use a spatial/environmental-basis to delimit my attention span. Having this distinction can also capture Citton’s concepts of environmental wisdom (ecosophy) and attentional dynamics (echology), while providing more contextual and situational account of my attentional experiences throughout my day, afterall, Citton did say that “we are always attentive in a particular situation” (p. 83).

I have made a Genially with a template similar to that of a board-game, as it shows the temporal and spatial aspect as the day progressed. Should the pop-out windows seem too small, feel free to view the Genially in a new tab.

 

Analysis

This day seems to be an outlier in terms of usage of my phone and its impact on my attention, as I had forgotten it at home for the majority of the day. Usually, there would be more back-and-forth texting with my friends, sending of memes on social media, and more frequent distractions  (*ahem*) breaks.

Usually in transit, I would use music and podcasts as a filter to tune out my surroundings to make it less sensory overwhelming. However, without my phone to play music, I could hear all the different kinds of conversations floating in and out of my awareness on transit. On days when I do have energy, it is fun and amusing to eavesdrop; on days when I have little energy, I can feel physically fatigued, and therefore need to be more protective of what I allow or do not allow to pass through me (p. 178).

One major thing I have noticed in my attentional record is the tendency to focus on social interactions with those around me, whether with strangers like the bus driver, or with friends like S, M and T.

Citton talks about joint attention that “involves the shared feeling of a co-presence that is sensitive to the emotional variations of the individuals involved” (p.85), which I think resonates with the feeling of how it feels like to “be seen” by others — the bus driver noticing my sprint, catching the attention of M on his bike, and the mutual recognition and acknowledgement by T.

This feels especially amplified on the day of Lunar New Year where much of it is in spirit is the collective attention to the new lunisolar cycle, and therefore the natural inclination to gather and celebrate together. I value quality time with my friends and family, and therefore, it is where I pay most of my undivided attention to.

References