Attention and Perception in Social Cognition: Clinical Applications and Practical Implications

The Role Of Attention In Social Cognition

The definition of attention, as the “set of evolved brain processes that leads to adaptive and effective behavioural selection” emphasises two key aspects. First, it underscores that attention is a result of a series of brain processes. Second, it highlights that attention leads to changes in behaviour by facilitating the selection of specific cues over others (Krauzlis et al., 2021). This evolutionary perspective categorises attention as either a high-level cognitive ability or a low-level cognitive process. The former sees attention as an evolved cognitive capability that developed to manage the increased demand for processing higher information loads and reducing cognitive overload. The latter perspective views attention as a basic cognitive process found in all organisms actively seeking food or nourishment. Regardless of the category it falls into, both mechanisms involve selecting certain stimuli over others, giving preference to detecting, choosing, and managing the most relevant environmental cues while suppressing irrelevant ones (Tidhar Lev-Ari et al., 2022).

In any experimental task assessing attention, particularly selective attention, the core structure involves testing one's ability to focus on specific stimuli while filtering out distractors. Attention plays a fundamental role in facilitating other cognitive processes, including social interactions, where it is equally multifaceted. This perspective acknowledges that attention requires a delicate balance between two forces: involuntary attention, where external stimuli capture one's focus, and voluntary attention, where one actively directs their attention to salient and relevant stimuli (Kristina Hiatt Racer & Dishion, 2012).

Human social interactions, which are an inherent part of the human experience, depend on cognitive processes and various factors. Selectively choosing social exchange partners hinges on the effective functioning of an attentive system in collaboration with three core processes: perception, interpretation, and evaluation. These processes jointly guide the selection of appropriate exchange partners (Capozzi & Ristic, 2018). While these processes emphasise the role of the self in attending to preferred stimuli, the concept of joint attention in social cognition underscores the idea of processing information about the self and others collaboratively. Joint attention involves an individual's ability to direct the attention of others to what they are focusing on, often seen in a classroom setting when an instructor engages the attention of students (Mundy & Newell, 2007). Neural correlates of joint attention can be understood as the process of early neural synchronisation between the speaker and the listener at various temporal scales (Wass et al., 2020).

In infancy, joint attention can be categorised into two distinct processes: responding to joint attention (RJA) and initiating joint attention (IJA). RJA refers to an infant's ability to respond to social cues, like gaze and gestures, set by others, resulting in a shared point of reference. In contrast, IJA encompasses the infant's use of these social cues to direct others' attention (Mundy & Newell, 2007). Previous research has associated impairments in IJA with autism symptoms in children, emphasising that individual differences in joint attention can influence the severity of social symptoms, prognosis, and treatment responsiveness (Mundy, 2003).