Attention Development in Elementary School Children: Psychological and Social Factors

Abstract

The research featured the psychological and social factors of attention development in primary school children (10–11 y.o.), which also depends on such personal factors as mother-child relations and environment. The study involved 54 students of a comprehensive school in the city of Omsk, as well as their mothers. The Correction Test was used to measure the concentration, stability, and attentional set-shifting. The personal characteristics were studied using H. J. Eysenck's test of extraversion and neuroticism, as well as O. Yu. Grogoleva's questionnaire of motivation. The mothers were asked to fill in I. M. Markovskaya's Parent-Child Interaction Survey, as well as a questionnaire about their child's daily routine. The obtained data were processed using the Spearman correlation coefficient, the Fisher's criterion of angular transform, and the factor analysis. The attention span appeared to depend on both intrapersonal and socio-psychological factors. Emotional stability, extraversion, and academic motivation also affected children's attention. As for mother-child relations, mother's anxiety, satisfaction, and emotional closeness were the most important factors. Such environmental factors as the daily routine also contributed to the attention span.