Selective attention in birds

Abstract

The natural world constantly inundates our senses with an abundance of information. Selective attention enables us to navigate this abundance intelligently by selecting the information that is most relevant, at each moment in time, for differential processing and decision-making. The attributes of attention have been studied in humans for over a century. In his influential 19(th) century treatise, The Principles of Psychology, philosopher and psychologist William James defined attention as: "… the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought … It implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others." (James, 1890). James' definition elegantly captures two key hallmarks of attention: the enhanced processing of task-relevant information (target information) and the suppression of task-irrelevant information (distracting information).