Attentional possibilities of modern students

Abstract

We study basic attentional properties among modern students. The practical experience of lecturing psychodiagnostic disciplines for more than 10 years has allowed us to draw attention to the decrease in attention indicators among students of the modern generation compared to their predecessors. The purpose of the study is to identify the students’ level of development of the basic properties of attention (capacity and concentration). We present results of diagnostics of second-year students of psychological specialties according to the test by Bourdon–Anfimov. All study participants possess good vision and a sufficient level of motivation to participate in the measurement. The obtained indicators show a decrease in concentration of attention with sufficient capacity in the surveyed students. Diagnostic results are given: 1) with changed instructions according to the same method and 2) with an alternative method – the Toulouse–Pieron test. A comparison of the data shows that the reason for the low concentration rates is not the aim for accuracy; the students who were successful in the correction task were also successful in the Toulouse–Pieron test; the percentage of successful students in Toulouse–Pieron test and the correction task has significant differences. This suggests that the absolute indicators of the sufficiency of the level of attention concentration in the correction task are most likely overstated. The results of the study allow us to raise the question of the need to revise some standards for the properties of attention according to the test by Bourdon–Anfimov. The revealed practical issue actualizes the need to consider the correctness and compliance with the standards of psychodiagnostic tools.