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How do we measure attention?

    Attention, broadly defined, is the ability to direct the mind on a specific task, says Gloria Mark, author of Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity. There are two main types of attention, Mark explains. Involuntary attention is automatic—it’s what allows us to react to a loud noise or a jarringly bright light. Focalized attention, by contrast, is the ability to concentrate on a specific task. This latter type is what scientists measure when researching attention spans. 

    Since the early 2000s, Mark has tracked focalized attention by observing how long people remain on a task before switching to something else—such as checking email or opening a new browser tab. At first, Mark used in-person observations— researchers shadowed employees throughout the office. In recent years, she has tracked attention spans using software that monitors people’s computers.

    “Data from our first study, in 2003, revealed that people spent an average of 2.5 minutes on something before turning their attention to a different task,” she says, “Our most recent study done over the past five years shows that the figure has gone down to 40 seconds.” The measure doesn’t capture how long people can focus under ideal conditions, Mark notes, meaning shorter attention spans don’t reflect a permanent loss of attention capacity, but changes in how often people break their focus in daily life.

National Geographic. Jan 21, 2026. Adaptado.