attentionality
|at-ten-tion-al-i-ty|
/əˌtɛnʃəˈnælɪti/
quality/state of attention
Etymology
'attentionality' is formed from the adjective 'attentional' (attention + -al) plus the nominalizing suffix '-ity'. 'Attention' ultimately comes from Latin 'attentio' from 'attendere' (ad- 'to' + tendere 'to stretch').
'attendere' (Latin) → 'attentio' (Latin) → Old French 'atencion' → Middle English 'attention' → adjective 'attentional' → modern formation 'attentionality' (20th century technical usage).
Originally related to the idea of 'stretching toward' (attend/attendere), it evolved to mean 'the act or capacity of directing the mind toward something'; 'attentionality' now denotes the state/quality or degree of attention in psychological and philosophical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being attentional; the degree or capacity of directing attention.
Researchers measured the attentionality of participants while they performed the task.
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Noun 2
in cognitive science, the extent to which sensory input or representations are prioritized or weighted by attention (attentional weighting).
The model accounts for how attentionality shifts the processing priority of competing stimuli.
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Last updated: 2025/11/15 13:30