Scientists Say Do More, Not Less, for Better Concentration

Monday, February 11, 2008 by: Michael Jolliffe
Tags: cognitive function, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) A fascinating piece of recent research has shattered the consensus that focusing on fewer tasks is the best way of achieving optimum concentration. The study, carried out at University College London, discovered that, contrarily, individuals whose work contained higher levels of visual 'busyness' were more able to focus on their tasks, not less.

The research was performed using a computer test designed by Nilli Lavie, a Professor of Psychology at the university which, she claims, provides good scientific evidence as to a person's level of distractibility.

Testing involved individuals being asked to pick an 'odd letter out' centred among a number of letters flashing up and moving simultaneously on the screen in front of them. When the letter had been identified, participants were asked to repeatedly press the corresponding key on their keyboard.
The computer could then calculate results based on reactions times and the proneness of the subject to higher or lower levels of visual distractibility.

Extraordinarily, every participant in the test was found to be less distractible as the difficulty, or the 'perceptual load', of the tasks increased. The researchers believe this can be explained in terms of the more difficult tasks using up increasing amounts of brain capacity that might otherwise be
used to deal with distractions. Professor Lavie draws comparisons between the brain and a telephone switchboard, each having an upper limit to its capacity for screening input.

Lavie spoke encouragingly about the future potential of the test, suggesting the finding "shows that, even if you are more easily distracted than others, you can decrease your susceptibility to being distracted."

The Professor claims to be working on applications for the test that may make it helpful in school settings. "You should think about making educational materials more perceptually engaging", Lavie told
international science magazine New Scientist. It is also thought that the test may have future use for employers seeking workers for positions in which high levels of concentration are vital, such as air traffic control, where poor focus could result in fatal accidents.

About the author

Michael Jolliffe is a freelance writer based in Oxford, UK.