Abstract
This article aims to provide an introduction to theories of attention and discusses how knowledge of this branch of psychology may help physiotherapists achieve a better understanding of their own skill. Application of this knowledge to the field of respiratory care reveals that limitations in attentional capacity may interfere with clinicians' and students' ability to perform many tasks at once, leading to performance impairment: a phenomenon known as dual-task interference. Models of dual-task interference, automaticity and selective attention are reviewed to illustrate this and suggestions made to alleviate the effects of attentional limitations. In conclusion, it is hoped that knowledge of this area of study may lead to better teaching and learning strategies being developed for promoting skill acquisition in learners.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 118-125 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Physiotherapy |
| Volume | 84 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 1998 |
Keywords
- Dual-task interference
- cardio-respiratory physiotherapy
- Attention
- Expertise
- Student learning