about him that you usually overlook, and any aroused desire adjusts or
"sets" attention in a similar way. The desire or interest of the
moment _facilitates_ attention to certain stimuli and _inhibits_
attention to others, and is thus an important factor of advantage.

The interest of the moment is often represented by a question. Ask
yourself what spots of red there are in the field of view, and
immediately various red spots jump out and strike the eye; ask
yourself what pressure sensations you are getting from the skin, and
immediately several obtrude themselves. A question sets attention
towards whatever may furnish an answer.

To sum up, we may say that three general factors of advantage
determine the power of any stimulus to attract attention. There is the
native factor, consisting of change, intensity, striking quality, and
definite form; there is the factor of habit, dependent on past
experience; and there is the factor of present interest and desire.

The Motor Reaction in Attention

Attention is obviously a reaction of the individual to the stimulus
that gets his attention; and it is in part a motor {249} reaction. The
movements that occur in attending to an object are such as to afford a
better view of it, or a better hearing of it, or, in general, such as
to bring the sense organs to bear on it as efficiently as possible.

We may distinguish two sorts of motor reaction that occur in
attention: the general attentive attitude, and the special adjustments
of the sense organs. An audience absorbed in a speech or musical
performance gives a good picture of the general _attentive attitude_.
You notice that most people look fixedly towards the speaker, as if
listening with their eyes, and that many of them lean forward as if it
were important to get just as close as possible. All the little
restless movements cease, so that you could "hear a pin drop", and at
the tensest moments even the breath is checked. The attitude of
attention is one of tense immobility, with the whole body oriented
towards the object of attention. When the object of attention is
something not present but thought of, a somewhat similar rigid
attitude is assumed; the body is apt to lean forward, the neck to be
held stiff, and the eyes to "stare at vacancy", i.e., to be fixed on
some convenient object as a mere resting place, while attention is
fixed outside the visual field altogether.

But we spoke of attention as mobile, and it would b