Temperament – Persistence and Attention Span

PERSISTENCE & ATTENTION SPAN

Persistence & Attention Span refers to the ability to stay with a task through frustrations and the length of time on the task. A persistent person can sit and continue until the task is complete whereas a person who tends to have a short attention span will just give up when they become frustrated or distracted.

Can you stay with an activity for a long period of time or do you just give up when you become frustrated?

PERSISTENCE & ATTENTION SPAN

      Persistent/Long___________________________________________Intermitent/Short

Tips for Managing the Extremes

For the someone who shows low persistence:

• Break tasks into small steps, and acknowledge small successes.
• Try timed work periods followed by short breaks.
• Reward them for sustained effort and finished assignments.

For the those who are overly persistent:

• Provide lots of warning before transitions.
• Remind them that it’s not always possible to be perfect.

Reference: Wikipedia

Photocredit: Nevin Taylor 2008