“Attention and Distraction Are Two Sides of the Same Coin”

Ms. Kastner, as we speak, it’s morning for you in Princeton, and afternoon for us in Germany. Which of us has the advantage in terms of concentration?

Sabine Kastner: There’s no general answer. There are daily fluctuations in attention performance, but these depend strongly on individual physiology. For example, some people find it difficult to get going in the morning because they have low blood pressure. Others are morning grouches who tend to peak later in the day. Most people have phases during which they can work and concentrate better. So it makes sense to organize your day accordingly.

Getting a good night’s sleep and rest is essential for being able to concentrate well. After all, attention is a basic cognitive function that we need for everything. That’s why it’s problematic when it’s impaired. Then many other cognitive functions are also disturbed.

What happens in our brain when we are very attentive? And what changes occur when our attention wanes?

When we pay attention, around a third of our brain is involved. An entire network of different areas works together. Our concentration is strongest when this network functions well, that is, when the involved brain regions work closely together in a coordinated manner. If our attention wanes, this collaboration changes. The functional connections between the involved areas weaken and the network becomes less coordinated.

How long can people concentrate on something?

That, too, varies greatly from individual to individual. Some people have a very long attention span, others aren’t as focused. But everyone has their limits. And then it’s important to recover and relax so that you’re receptive again. Everyone knows this from reading. When your mind starts to wander, you’re no longer paying attention. Then it’s time for a break. Good novels conjure up images in your mind, so another area of the brain is activated. That’s why we stay more attentive for longer. This isn’t the case with many non-fiction texts, which is why they’re often boring and concentration quickly wanes.

So are we automatically more attentive when we’re enthusiastic about a topic?

Like all cognitive functions, our attention and the associated neuronal processes are influenced by many factors. Besides sleep, motivation is indeed a key factor. Whether we find something exciting or meaningful has a big impact on how well our brain functions. Therefore, it’s especially important to encourage self-motivation in children. Motivated people not only concentrate better, they also remember content more easily.

Attention and distraction – how are the two connected?

Attention and distraction are two sides of the same coin. When we concentrate on something, our brain processes information faster and more precisely. But for that to succeed, it must also filter out distracting stimuli at the same time. A kind of filtering function in the brain ensures this. It helps us to filter out unimportant things – and is possibly even more important for our attention than processing speed.

So the quality of attention depends largely on how well we filter out distractions?

Exactly. There are various filters. These include executive filters that we strategically control ourselves. For example, the conscious decision to concentrate on a conversation while blocking out other people entering the room. There are also sensory filters that operate relatively automatically. These include, for example, blocking out background music while having a conversation. And there are visual filters. When driving a car, we have to block out many environmental stimuli in order to be able to perform this highly demanding activity. However, the neuronal mechanisms involved in filtering may be very similar, if not identical.

You are researching the topic of attention. What’s so exciting about this field from a neurobiological perspective?

Research into attention provides insights into how cognitive networks function. Even a seemingly simple act of attention activates an astonishingly large area in the brain, a highly branched neuronal network. How information can be processed so quickly in such an extensive area is still a great mystery. But the better we understand the attention network, the more likely we are to derive insights for other cognitive processes.

In neurobiology, we’re also interested in how the attention network and memory networks are interconnected. We know from behavioral studies that the better we are able to pay attention, the better we can store information and retrieve it later as knowledge. A deeper understanding of these connections could, in the long term, significantly improve the treatment of attention disorders in children or rehabilitation after strokes.

What findings have been confirmed so far?

About ten years ago, we discovered something completely surprising: attention is not a static state, but is subject to dynamic processes. We were able to identify two different dynamic states, an upstate and a downstate, which alternate about four times per second. In the upstate, we can process a lot of information better. In the downstate, we find it easier to turn our attention to new stimuli.

Our attention can therefore switch to extreme states and remain there, for example, when we concentrate intensely for a long period of time. Normally, however, our attention network fluctuates back and forth between the two dynamic states. This is very practical because it allows us to react quickly to changes in our environment and constantly refocus our attention.

This comes in very handy in the age of social media with its rapidly changing content.

The younger generation in particular is used to their attention changing very quickly due to intensive cell phone use, the Internet and social media. Their network is practically trained to quickly turn to new things. And depending on how we primarily use this network, it is shaped in one direction or the other, so to speak. Pilots, for example, are trained to maintain a constant level of attention over a very long period of time.

So parents don’t have to worry?

No, there is no generation of children growing up now who have a short attention span because they only play video games or spend time on TikTok. The ability to concentrate has not been lost; it can be retrained. Therefore, we shouldn’t be pessimistic. Many of these young people will nevertheless go on to have a job that requires a great deal of constant attention. We humans are adaptable, especially in times of digitalization and artificial intelligence. We haven’t yet fully utilized our brain power in this regard.

Finally, a few tips from the expert: how can you train greater attention?

It’s easier than you think. Activities like reading, learning to play a musical instrument or engaging in artistic endeavors, such as painting or pottery, can help extend your attention span. It’s also good to spend a lot of time in nature to take a conscious break from electronic media. The important thing is that these activities are fun and self-motivated.

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