Attention seeking: The paradoxes of an under-researched concept

Abstract

The term attention seeking has been used in association with major behaviour difficulties at home and school. The concept has, however, an ambivalent position in the literature and remains largely unresearched. To survey its use, electronic databases MEDLINE, PsychINFO and ERIC were searched (up to October 2003) using the key words ‘attention seeking’. In addition 133 books were surveyed in the fields of educational and clinical psychology and psychiatry. No comprehensive review of published material in this area was discovered from a period covering four decades. The term, however, had a wide, although very thinly spread, occurrence. It was, however, usually employed without any, or any adequate, definition. The survey concluded that there was an absence of thorough discussion of a term in academic and common use that referred to potentially serious problems, and two paradoxes emerged. There was thus a possibility of great scope for misunderstanding of the implications of behaviours labelled attention seeking. Wide ranging research was needed.