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Capacity Theory of Attention - Coggle Diagram
Capacity Theory of Attention
Core Idea
Limited attentional resources (mental fuel)
Performance suffers when demand > supply
Assumptions
Fixed pool of attentional resources
Resources can be allotted according to task requirements
Capacity Model (Kahneman, 1973)
Arousal controls available capacity
Allocation policy decides distribution of resources
Determinants
Enduring dispositions (automatic attention, e.g., hearing your name)
Momentary intentions (goal-directed focus)
Evaluation of demands (deciding which task needs more attention)
Practical Outcomes
Multi-tasking possible but limited
Activities compete for resources
Performance slows or fails when demand > supply
Comparison
Bottleneck Theories: one message at a time (strict limitation)
Capacity Theory: multiple channels, but within fixed limit (flexible)
Examples
Driving while talking
Studying while listening to music
High arousal increases available capacity, but still limited
Summary
Emphasizes resource limits, not strict filtering
Attention = dynamic balance between arousal, task demands, allocation
Explains multitasking success/failure