Skip to main content
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders pp 2700–2707Cite as

Selective Attention

  • Reference work entry

Definition

Selective attention refers to the ability to pay attention to a limited array of all available sensory information. Selective attention, as a filter to help prioritize information according to its importance, is adaptive. If attention is too selective, however, it is maladaptive. Excessively selective attention has become known as “stimulus overselectivity,” which is prevalent in autism. Its cause or causes are assumed to be brain organic. Because overselectivity has serious implications for impairment of learning at many levels, including social, emotional, and language learning (all key features of autism), it is suggested that an evidence-based treatment should focus on the normalization of attention patterns as early as possible to take advantage of the young brain’s plasticity. Behavior analysis can provide such evidence-based treatments. Until a true cure for autism is found, behavior analysis remains the treatment of choice.

Historical Background

Landmark Study

The...

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_1932
  • Chapter length: 8 pages
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
eBook
USD   1,999.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-1-4419-1698-3
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Learn about institutional subscriptions

References and Readings

  • Etzel, B. C., LeBlanc, J. M., Schilmoeller, K. J., & Stella, M. E. (1981). Stimulus control procedures in the education of young children. In S. W. Bijou & R. Ruiz (Eds.), Behavior modification: Contributions to education (pp. 3–37). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Happé, F., & Frith, U. (2006). The weak coherence account: Detail-focused cognitive style in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 5–25.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koegel, R. L., Schreibman, L., Good, A. B., Cerniglia, L., Murphy, C., & Koegel, L. K. (1989). How to teach pivotal behaviors to autistic children: A training manual. Santa Barbara: University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovaas, O. I., Schreibman, L., Koegel, R. L., & Rehm, R. (1971). Selective responding by autistic children to multiple sensory input. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 77, 211–222.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mottron, L., Dawson, M., Soulières, I., Hubert, B., & Burack, J. (2006). Enhanced perceptual functioning in autism: An update, and eight principles of autistic perception. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 27–43.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pavlov, I. P. (1927). Conditioned reflexes: An investigation of the physiological activity of the cerebral cortex. New York: Dover.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ploog, B. O. (2010). Stimulus overselectivity four decades later: A review of the literature and its implications for current research in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 1332–1349.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ploog, B. O., Banerjee, S., & Brooks, P. J. (2009). Attention to prosody (intonation) and content in children with autism and in typical children using spoken sentences in a computer game. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 3, 743–758.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ploog, B. O., & Kim, N. (2007). Assessment of stimulus overselectivity with tactile compound stimuli in children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 1514–1524.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ploog, B. O., & Williams, B. A. (1995). Two methods of stimulus fading applied to a simultaneous flicker rate discrimination in pigeons. Learning and Motivation, 26, 161–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, G. S. (1961). Attention in the pigeon. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 4(3), 203–208.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schreibman, L. (1975). Effects of within-stimulus and extra-stimulus prompting on discrimination learning in autistic children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 8, 91–112.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, B. F. (1948). “Superstition” in the pigeon. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 38, 168–172.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stokes, T. F., & Baer, D. M. (1977). An implicit technology of generalization. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10, 349–367.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island and Graduate Center, CUNY, 2800 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA

    Bertram O. Ploog Ph.D., BCBA-D

Authors
  1. Bertram O. Ploog Ph.D., BCBA-D
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bertram O. Ploog Ph.D., BCBA-D .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology Yale University School of Medicine, Chief, Child Psychiatry Children's Hospital at Yale-New Haven Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar (Director, Child Study Center) (Director, Child Study Center)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this entry

Cite this entry

Ploog, B.O. (2013). Selective Attention. In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_1932

Download citation