How do you define the concept of attention? Can attention be consciously allocated to tasks? Why or why not? What is the relationship between attention and cognition?

Attention is an umbrella term that refers to a variety of related mental processes and behaviors. Attention can be defined as the process of focusing one’s awareness on a particular object, thought or feeling in order to gain more information about it (Matthews, 2007). Attention involves both conscious and unconscious methods of perceiving, attending to and selecting sensory information from the environment. Attention is also linked to memory and learning because it allows us to absorb new information while simultaneously ignoring extraneous stimuli.