Editing Attention (section)

===Influence of processing load===
A "hugely influential"<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01322|pmid = 27625628|pmc = 5003837|title = Perceptual Load Affects Eyewitness Accuracy and Susceptibility to Leading Questions|journal = Frontiers in Psychology|volume = 7|pages = 1322|year = 2016| vauthors = Murphy G, Greene CM |doi-access = free}}</ref> theory regarding selective attention is the [[Perceptual load theory#Perceptual load theory|perceptual load theory]], which states that there are two mechanisms that affect attention: cognitive and perceptual. The perceptual mechanism considers the subject's ability to perceive or ignore stimuli, both task-related and non task-related. Studies show that if there are many stimuli present (especially if they are task-related), it is much easier to ignore the non-task related stimuli, but if there are few stimuli the mind will perceive the irrelevant stimuli as well as the relevant. The cognitive mechanism refers to the actual processing of the stimuli. Studies regarding this showed that the ability to process stimuli decreased with age, meaning that younger people were able to perceive more stimuli and fully process them, but were likely to process both relevant and irrelevant information, while older people could process fewer stimuli, but usually processed only relevant information.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Lavie N, Hirst A, de Fockert JW, Viding E | title = Load theory of selective attention and cognitive control | journal = Journal of Experimental Psychology. General | volume = 133 | issue = 3 | pages = 339–54 | date = September 2004 | pmid = 15355143 | doi = 10.1037/0096-3445.133.3.339 | s2cid = 10399663 | url = http://www.icn.ucl.ac.uk/lavielab/reprints/Lavie-etal-04.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130626052615/http://www.icn.ucl.ac.uk/lavielab/reprints/lavie-etal-04.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2013-06-26 }}</ref>

Some people can process multiple stimuli, e.g. trained Morse code operators have been able to copy 100% of a message while carrying on a meaningful conversation.  This relies on the reflexive response due to "overlearning" the skill of morse code reception/detection/transcription so that it is an autonomous function requiring no specific attention to perform. This overtraining of the brain comes as the "practice of a skill [surpasses] 100% accuracy," allowing the activity to become autonomic, while your mind has room to process other actions simultaneously.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Dougherty KM, Johnston JM | title = Overlearning, fluency, and automaticity | journal = The Behavior Analyst | volume = 19 | issue = 2 | pages = 289–92 | date = October 1996 | pmid = 22478265 | pmc = 2733607 | doi = 10.1007/bf03393171 }}</ref>

Based on the primary role of the perceptual load theory, assumptions regarding its functionality surrounding that attentional resources are that of limited capacity which signify the need for all of the attentional resources to be used.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cartwright-Finch |first1=Ula |last2=Lavie |first2=Nilli |date=2007-03-01 |title=The role of perceptual load in inattentional blindness |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027706000205 |journal=Cognition |language=en |volume=102 |issue=3 |pages=321–340 |doi=10.1016/j.cognition.2006.01.002 |pmid=16480973 |s2cid=11075314 |issn=0010-0277}}</ref> This performance, however, is halted when put hand in hand with accuracy and reaction time (RT). This limitation arises through the measurement of literature when obtaining outcomes for scores. This affects both cognitive and perceptual attention because there is a lack of measurement surrounding distributions of temporal and spatial attention. Only a concentrated amount of attention on how effective one is completing the task and how long they take is being analyzed making a more redundant analysis on overall cognition of being able to process multiple stimuli through perception.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2023 |title=Supplemental Material for The Mediating Role of Attention in the Association Between Math Anxiety and Math Performance: An Eye-Tracking Study |url=http://supp.apa.org/psycarticles/supplemental/edu0000759/edu0000759_supp.html |journal=Journal of Educational Psychology |language=en |pages=edu0000759.supp |doi=10.1037/edu0000759.supp |s2cid=249802314 |issn=0022-0663|doi-access=free }}</ref>