Directed or Voluntary Attention

Directed attention, also called voluntary attention, is a cognitive process of the prefrontal cortex that consciously focuses on a specific task by blocking irrelevant distraction — a key mental resource in problem-solving. It’s similar to selective attention (more a filter than a block). Directed attention is intentional and goal-directed but requires enough concentration to cause mental fatigue, especially with ADHD, resulting in more distracted and impulsive behavior—it’s important to rest/regenerate attention. Also see Hyperfocus