This will depend upon the strength of the stimulus or force which excites it. The sense of sight is the strongest of all the senses and therefore can exert the strongest stimulus, and should be used in all possible cases. In the exercises with the square the changes are all visual and they continue the strongest stimulus. Another strong stimulus can be induced by the feelings of either pleasure or displeasure. Happy, joyful anticipation or fear, horror, or disgust will arouse the attention. Familiarity also aids the attention because of the feelings which it incites. Visual pictures which contain familiar scenes are better and all changes introduced should be of familiar ideas in order to take advantage of this fact. The more you embrace in the attention the less penetrating it will be. Do not try to take in the whole picture or object all the time, but change from one detail to another, centering the attention on one at a time and thus building the perfect whole. Arouse Your Interest Always become interested in the thing to which you are striving to direct your attention. Boys have no difficulty in paying close attention and remembering the ball score and the batting average of the players but to ask them to pay as strict attention to a lecture on an uninteresting subject is asking the impossible. The compelling element of interest has been taken away. This is a great lesson for all parents and teachers; if the results of fixed attention are to be expected, the interest must be supplied and maintained, by natural or imaginary means. Expectant Attention Prolonged expectancy is a great aid to holding the attention. The element of curiosity is a great impelling force in the child and even in adult life. This can be taken advantage of in prolonging the attention. The element of expectancy also affects the results of attention. The thing you expect is the thing most easily found. If you wish to aid a friend who is searching for a lost article you first learn as nearly as possible just what it looks like, so that you may know what you are expected to find. =Exercise.=--In the following lines count all the 5s. 5 0 3 4 2 6 5 7 4 6 7 8 9 8 0 7 6 8 7 5 4 3 5 7 6 5 4 3 7 93758432657374596870234265834985672230986574 Notice how readily the other digits pass before your eyes in more or less indistinct rows, but the 5s stand out more clearly. This is caused by your expectancy, your attention is fixed upon this one digit and cares nothing for others. Count the 9s and note the change of expectancy. Use any selected letter in this paragraph for additional practice. Cure for Diverted Attention