<p><strong>Short answer</strong><br>
Attention can be quantified with a sustained attention to response task.</p>

<p><strong>Background</strong><br>
I think with focus or concentration you mean sustained <strong><a href="https://www.psytest.net/index.php?page=Daueraufmerksamkeit&amp;hl=en_US" rel="nofollow noreferrer">attention</a></strong> to a certain task. A sustained attention to response task (SART) <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074756329800017X" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(Silverstein &amp; Palumbo, 1998)</a> could be helpful to you (<a href="http://www.marsja.se/sustained-attention-task-in-psychopy/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a> is a free PsychoPy script). SART seems to be a reliable measure for attention <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20452366" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(Smilek <em>et al</em>., 2010)</a>. </p>

<p>Basically SART consists of a set of stimuli (<em>e.g.</em>, simple shapes) and the subject is asked to repeatedly give a response (<em>e.g.</em> a button press) when a certain event occurs (<em>e.g.</em> a shape changes color). Reductions in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3634902/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">correct rates</a>, increased <a href="http://davehunter.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2015/04/12/fitting-a-psychometric-function/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">lapse rates</a>, and/or decreased <a href="http://www.psych.upenn.edu/~saul/rt.experimentation.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">reaction times</a> all may signal reduced attention to the task. </p>

<p>Admittedly I am not too familiar with these tests, but I do have a lot of experience with people loosing attention during tedious psychophysical tasks :) I hope the links and references provided here may be of further help.</p>

<p><sub><strong>References</strong><br>
<strong>-</strong> <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074756329800017X" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Silverstein &amp; Palumbo, Computers in Human Behavior (1998); <strong>14</strong>(3): 463-75</a><br>
<strong>-</strong> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20452366" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Smilek <em>et al</em>., <em>Neuropsychologia</em> (2010); <strong>48</strong>(9): 2564-70</a></sub></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-28T07:57:29.150Z
Thanks! So, is this only valid when used as the only task a user does, or could it also be done to track other tasks?

For example, suppose my subject is doing a given task on a computer (checking email vs. programming), and at random times these shapes take place on the screen and the user has to push a button if they are of equal shape. 

If the user performs better on these while programming than checking their email, can I say that he/she was more concentrated while programming?
danieldaquino
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-28T08:34:06.867Z
@DanielNogueira97 - problem is that you can't really evaluate attention to task A when doing task B, because when you do it simultaneously a lapse on the attention task may be caused by a great focus on the programming task.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-29T21:28:04.427Z
So the way, I suppose, is to come up with a way to create these "challenges"  within task A. Is that correct? Is there such challenges within computer tasks?
danieldaquino
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-27T11:03:24.340Z
2017-06-27T15:34:20.907Z
2017-06-27T15:34:20.907Z
AliceD
<p>How can we measure and quantify concentration or focus? For example, if I were to say:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"If you do Activity X while using Y, you will be more concentrated
  than if you were using Z"</p>
</blockquote>

<p>How can I quantify that? And what tests should I do to actually prove that statement? Examples are appreciated.</p>

<p><sub><strong>Background</strong>
I am trying to build some different technology products and I want them to help the user stay more focused than they would using a competitor product of the same kind. The only research I've done so far was to build some interfaces and ask the user how they feel.</sub></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-19T09:37:20.140Z
Possibly of interest: https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/a/5013/11318
Robin Kramer-ten Have
<measurement><attention><psychophysics><experiment-design><concentration>
How to measure and quantify concentration or focus?
danieldaquino
# How to measure and quantify concentration or focus?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-06-19)

How can we measure and quantify concentration or focus? For example, if I were to say:

> "If you do Activity X while using Y, you will be more concentrated
> than if you were using Z"

How can I quantify that? And what tests should I do to actually prove that statement? Examples are appreciated.

**Background**
I am trying to build some different technology products and I want them to help the user stay more focused than they would using a competitor product of the same kind. The only research I've done so far was to build some interfaces and ask the user how they feel.

**Tags:** measurement, attention, psychophysics, experiment-design, concentration

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Possibly of interest: https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/a/5013/11318  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-06-27. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

**Short answer**  
Attention can be quantified with a sustained attention to response task.

**Background**  
I think with focus or concentration you mean sustained **[attention](https://www.psytest.net/index.php?page=Daueraufmerksamkeit&hl=en_US)** to a certain task. A sustained attention to response task (SART) [(Silverstein & Palumbo, 1998)](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074756329800017X) could be helpful to you ([here](http://www.marsja.se/sustained-attention-task-in-psychopy/) is a free PsychoPy script). SART seems to be a reliable measure for attention [(Smilek *et al*., 2010)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20452366).

Basically SART consists of a set of stimuli (*e.g.*, simple shapes) and the subject is asked to repeatedly give a response (*e.g.* a button press) when a certain event occurs (*e.g.* a shape changes color). Reductions in [correct rates](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3634902/), increased [lapse rates](http://davehunter.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2015/04/12/fitting-a-psychometric-function/), and/or decreased [reaction times](http://www.psych.upenn.edu/~saul/rt.experimentation.pdf) all may signal reduced attention to the task.

Admittedly I am not too familiar with these tests, but I do have a lot of experience with people loosing attention during tedious psychophysical tasks :) I hope the links and references provided here may be of further help.

**References**  
**-** [Silverstein & Palumbo, Computers in Human Behavior (1998); **14**(3): 463-75](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074756329800017X)  
**-** [Smilek *et al*., *Neuropsychologia* (2010); **48**(9): 2564-70](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20452366)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks! So, is this only valid when used as the only task a user does, or could it also be done to track other tasks?  For example, suppose my subject is doing a given task on a computer (checking email vs. programming), and at random times these shapes take place on the screen and the user has to push a button if they are of equal shape.   If the user performs better on these while programming than checking their email, can I say that he/she was more concentrated while programming?  
> **username_2**: @DanielNogueira97 - problem is that you can't really evaluate attention to task A when doing task B, because when you do it simultaneously a lapse on the attention task may be caused by a great focus on the programming task.  
> **username_0**: So the way, I suppose, is to come up with a way to create these "challenges"  within task A. Is that correct? Is there such challenges within computer tasks?  

---

