Hyperfocus: the forgotten frontier of attention
- PMID: 31541305
- PMCID: PMC7851038
- DOI: 10.1007/s00426-019-01245-8
Hyperfocus: the forgotten frontier of attention
Abstract
'Hyperfocus' is a phenomenon that reflects one's complete absorption in a task, to a point where a person appears to completely ignore or 'tune out' everything else. Hyperfocus is most often mentioned in the context of autism, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but research into its effect on cognitive and neural functioning is limited. We propose that hyperfocus is a critically important aspect of cognition, particularly with regard to clinical populations, and that it warrants significant investigation. Hyperfocus, though ostensibly self-explanatory, is poorly defined within the literature. In many cases, hyperfocus goes undefined, relying on the assumption that the reader inherently knows what it entails. Thus, there is no single consensus to what constitutes hyperfocus. Moreover, some studies do not refer to hyperfocus by name, but describe processes that may be related. In this paper, we review how hyperfocus (as well as possibly related phenomena) has been defined and measured, the challenges associated with hyperfocus research, and assess how hyperfocus affects both neurotypical and clinical populations. Using this foundation, we provide constructive criticism about previously used methods and analyses. We also propose an operational definition of hyperfocus for researchers to use moving forward.
Conflict of interest statement
Authors B.K.A. and A.A. declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Similar articles
-
The role of executive functions in mediating the relationship between adult ADHD symptoms and hyperfocus in university students.Res Dev Disabil. 2024 Jan;144:104639. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104639. Epub 2023 Nov 30. Res Dev Disabil. 2024. PMID: 38039699
-
Testing the relation between ADHD and hyperfocus experiences.Res Dev Disabil. 2020 Dec;107:103789. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103789. Epub 2020 Oct 27. Res Dev Disabil. 2020. PMID: 33126147
-
Living "in the zone": hyperfocus in adult ADHD.Atten Defic Hyperact Disord. 2019 Jun;11(2):191-208. doi: 10.1007/s12402-018-0272-y. Epub 2018 Sep 28. Atten Defic Hyperact Disord. 2019. PMID: 30267329
-
Paradigm shift in consciousness research: the child's self-awareness and abnormalities in autism, ADHD and schizophrenia.Acta Paediatr. 2012 Feb;101(2):112-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2011.02456.x. Epub 2011 Sep 23. Acta Paediatr. 2012. PMID: 21883452 Review.
-
[Cognitive models in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder].Rev Neurol. 2009 Dec 1-15;49(11):587-93. Rev Neurol. 2009. PMID: 19921624 Review. Spanish.
Cited by
-
Video games and disability-a risk and benefit analysis.Front Rehabil Sci. 2024 Mar 1;5:1343057. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2024.1343057. eCollection 2024. Front Rehabil Sci. 2024. PMID: 38496777 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Rhythmic Attention and ADHD: A Narrative and Systematic Review.Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2024 Jun;49(2):185-204. doi: 10.1007/s10484-023-09618-x. Epub 2024 Jan 10. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2024. PMID: 38198019
-
Putting the Gaming Experience at the Center of the Therapy-The Video Game Therapy® Approach.Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Jun 15;11(12):1767. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11121767. Healthcare (Basel). 2023. PMID: 37372884 Free PMC article.
-
Neurodiversity in elite sport: a systematic scoping review.BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2023 Jun 15;9(2):e001575. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001575. eCollection 2023. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2023. PMID: 37342788 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Hyperfocus symptom and internet addiction in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder trait.Front Psychiatry. 2023 Mar 16;14:1127777. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1127777. eCollection 2023. Front Psychiatry. 2023. PMID: 37009127 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Abu-Akel, A., Apperly, I., Spaniol, M., Geng, J., & Mevorach, C. (2016a). Context-given benefits: Saliency-based selection as a function of autism and psychosis traits. Journal of Vision,16(12), 16. 10.1167/16.12.16.
-
- Abu-Akel, A. M., Apperly, I. A., Wood, S. J., & Hansen, P. C. (2016b). Autism and psychosis expressions diametrically modulate the right temporoparietal junction. Social Neuroscience,12(5), 506–518. 10.1080/17470919.2016.1190786. - PubMed
-
- Abu-Akel A, Testa RR, Jones HP, Ross N, Skafidas E, Tonge B, Pantelis C. Attentional set-shifting and social abilities in children with schizotypal and comorbid autism spectrum disorders. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2018;52(1):68–77. doi: 10.1177/0004867417708610. - DOI - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical