Attention

Attention is an element of cognition that allows for the sustained placement of perception on some sign or signal, with or without other simultaneous cognitive processes.

Attention can be directed and held involuntarily, for example as an instinctive reaction to some alarming sensation, as the result of a feeling or due to an acquired interest for a given topic. It can also be placed voluntarily or trained to last longer, in which case it's called concentration.