Monitoring Activities and Responses
As we are involved in a complicated task, it is essential to monitor our success/failure. We may decide that the task has exceeded our attention, so take some action to gain control or reduce the demands. For example, pianists can reduce demands on attention by slowing down or by practicing one part at a time. We try to reallocate attention by circling a fingering or a dynamic marking in the score, expecting that this visible sign will bring our attention to a problem spot. We notice when our concentration has lapsed and we take a short mental break or repeat an activity with a new goal in mind (thus, altering our allocation policy). This is an important part of the allocation model. Kahneman labels this control mechanism the "evaluation of demands on capacity" (represented by arrows at the bottom of the model).
As an outside observer, an experienced teacher can assist by helping to students to allocate attention to varying problems. Sometimes students hear mistakes, but cannot determine what is causing the problem. Practicing can be very frustrating under these circumstances. A skillful teacher can help students find the root of problems and can suggest when and how to reallocate attention to solve them. Slowing down or playing hands separately are solutions which even advanced pianists need to be reminded of occasionally. By asking leading questions, we can focus studentsŐ attention on problem areas or, if the student is performing successfully, on increasingly more complex issues.
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