New research suggests that attention does not remain steady, but instead cycles rhythmically several times per second.
Scientists may be closer to understanding why pop-ups and notifications are so hard to ignore. New research suggests that attention does not remain steady. Instead, it fluctuates in a rapid cycle, shifting focus about seven to ten times per second.
This constant sampling of the environment may have helped humans survive. By preventing the brain from locking onto a single object for too long, these brief shifts allow us to stay aware of what is happening around us. For example, you might notice a car reversing in a parking lot while searching for your own vehicle. You might also spot a low-hanging tree branch while watching a child ride a bike.
In today’s world, however, the same built-in rhythm may make it easier to become distracted. With screens, alerts, and visual prompts competing for our attention, these frequent shifts can pull us away from whatever we are trying to concentrate on.
“For our ancestors who had to continue to monitor the environment for predators while foraging for food, this was a beneficial trait,” said Ian Fiebelkorn, PhD, assistant professor of Neuroscience at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester and senior author of a study out in the journal PLOS Biology. “But in our modern environment, with laptops open in front of us and a smartphone nearby, rhythmically occurring windows for beneficial attentional shifts might also work against us. That is, rhythmically occurring windows for attentional shifts are also associated with increased susceptibility to distracting information.”
Uncovering What Cannot Be Seen
These subtle shifts in attention may happen hundreds of thousands of times each day. To investigate them, Zach Redding, PhD ’24, a postdoctoral fellow in the Fiebelkorn lab and first author of the study, recorded brain activity using an electroencephalogram (EEG).
In the experiment, 40 participants focused on a dim gray square positioned at the center of a computer screen. At the same time, colored dots appeared as distractions. Researchers removed any data linked to eye movements so the results would reflect internal changes in attention rather than simple shifts in gaze.
The EEG data revealed repeating patterns in brain activity that predicted when attention was more likely to drift toward a distractor. These cycles occurred roughly seven to ten times per second. They also aligned with alternating periods in which participants were better or worse at detecting the central target. When detection performance dropped, participants were more vulnerable to distraction.
Implications for Attention and ADHD
The findings may also help researchers better understand attention-related conditions such as ADHD. Although the study did not directly examine people with ADHD, it offers clues about how differences in these brain rhythms could influence focus and distractibility.
“Our research shows that the typical brain rhythmically alternates between states that promote either increased processing at the present focus of attention or an increased likelihood of shifting attentional resources elsewhere,” said Fiebelkorn. “It could be that the brains of people with ADHD do not alternate between these states as often, resulting in a loss of cognitive flexibility.”
Over time, insights into these repeating patterns of brain activity could contribute to new approaches for strengthening focus and managing distraction.
Reference: “Frequency-specific attentional mechanisms phasically modulate the influence of distractors on task performance” by Zach V. Redding, Yun Ding and Ian C. Fiebelkorn, 23 February 2026, PLOS Biology.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003664
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