What does attentional mean?
Attentional is an adjective meaning 'of or relating to attention,' the cognitive process by which the mind selects and concentrates on particular stimuli while filtering out others. It belongs almost entirely to the vocabulary of psychology and neuroscience, where researchers use it to describe the mechanisms and limits of human focus. Common pairings include attentional bias (the tendency to notice certain stimuli more readily), attentional control (the ability to direct focus deliberately), and attentional resources (the finite mental capacity available for processing). The word also names a genuine quirk of perception, the 'attentional blink,' a brief moment after spotting one target in which a second one goes unnoticed. Though precise and useful in scientific contexts, attentional is rare in everyday speech; general readers would normally say attentive instead. Its Latin roots tie it to attend, attentive, and attention, all built on the idea of stretching one's mind toward something.
adjectiveRelating to or involving attention, especially in the psychological sense of the mental focus placed on a particular stimulus or task.
- Of or relating to attention as a cognitive process, used chiefly in psychology and neuroscience.
"The study measured how attentional resources are divided when drivers listen to a podcast."
"Participants showed an attentional bias toward threatening faces."
"Meditation training was said to improve attentional control over time."
Psychologists have named a real phenomenon after it — the 'attentional blink' — a split-second gap in which your brain literally fails to see something right in front of you.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of attentional
Attentional derives from attention, which English took from Latin attentio, formed on attendere, 'to stretch toward' or 'give heed to.' As psychologists in the twentieth century needed adjectival forms for technical writing, they appended the standard Latinate suffix -al to produce attentional, paralleling formations such as functional and behavioural. It shares its ultimate root with cognates including attentive, attend, and attendant.
Related word forms
How attentional is actually used
A technical term used almost exclusively in academic psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science writing; it rarely appears in everyday conversation, where 'attentive' serves ordinary purposes.
Easily confused with attentional
Intentional means done deliberately or on purpose, while attentional merely relates to the mental faculty of attention.