The Ability to Concentrate is Increasing?!

Distraction is everywhere. As I write this post, I pause to check twitter. Phones are omnipresent and demand our attention. Dopamine hits rule. Yet, despite the potential for greater distraction, a large study finds that on a standardized test, the ability to concentrate is up (modestly) for adults.

In the present cross-temporal meta-analysis, we investigate potential test score changes for attention as assessed by the d2 Test of attention. Based on data from 287 independent samples (N = 21,291) from 32 countries over a timespan of 31 years (1990–2021) we found evidence for moderate generational test score gains in concentration performance in adults, but not [statistically significantly, AT] children.

And while I wouldn’t put much weight on these results, since they are correlational and by country only, do note:

Internet use predicted concentration performance positively, yielding small effects for children but no meaningful effects for adults. This seems to be in contrast with findings that indicate adverse effects of digitalization in general, and video games, media multitasking, as well as overall increased screen time on attention capabilities in particular….

Of course, this is measuring attention on a test where presumably the phones have been taken away! In other words, the environment may have made deep work more difficult but we still retain the ability to concentrate in a distraction-free environment. Or, perhaps in the past, people just daydreamed more instead of checking their phones.