Deb is in third grade. She is in class. While the teacher stands at the front of the room and teaches math, Deb looks out the window. She imagines. “What would it be like if this whole building was a home, and each room could be transformed to create an open space with all sorts of activities? We could have an art room, a music room, a huge kitchen to experiment and make delicious food. We could invite our friends and relatives to come in and play.” Deb’s imaginings continue for the rest of the afternoon.

Sustained attention is the ability to pay attention regardless of distractions, fatigue, or boredom. The environmental expectations combined with an individual’s learning and cognitive style determine whether that individual will be able to focus.

• Young children focus well when they are engaged in play and exploration of their world. In lower grades, instruction frequently includes manipulatives, drawing, experiments, and a variety of playful activities.
• Older children are expected to pay attention for longer periods of time, even when the modality is teacher directed and abstract. For students who are developmentally ready, this approach works. For students who lag developmentally, focus becomes a problem.
• Grownups frequently choose vocations that are better suited to personal learning and cognitive styles. For example, a highly energetic adult might excel as a police officer or firefighter. Adults who daydream might choose creative vocations that encourage freedom to explore and experiment.

Research on attention originally focused on goal-directed tasks. This was consistent with behaviorism, which was popular in the 1950’s and 1960’s. More recently, neuroscientists started studying what our brains do when we are not focused on goal-directed tasks. In the 1990’s, Marcus E. Raichle, M.D., a neurologist, and researcher from Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, Missouri  observed an active cognitive process that he called the “default mode network.”

Although this concept isn’t universally accepted, it does offer some food for thought.

The Default Mode Network Idea

• Our brains have two types of attention: default mode, and focused attention.
• Default mode uses multiple parts of the brain and it is always on.
• When the brain is focused on something specific that is purposeful and goal-directed the default mode defers to sustained attention.
• The default mode network includes many functions, including the sense of self, thinking about others, memory of the past and thinking about the future.
• It is active when the mind is at rest, and when an individual’s mind wanders.
• It is possible that when a task is goal oriented but also involves the sense of self and others, the default mode network remains activated.
• Individuals who have impairments such as Alzheimer’s, autism, schizophrenia, depression, and chronic pain might experience impairment in the default mode network.

Here is a short video about the default mode network:

If sustained attention is the ability to focus despite distractions, fatigue, or boredom, it appears to be a skill necessary to succeed in settings that aren’t  optimal for an individual, such as classrooms and jobs that aren’t the best fit.

Reflection Questions

• Describe a situation where you are focused on a goal-directed activity.
• Where are you, and what is the task?
• Describe a situation where you struggle to focus.
• Where are you, and what is the task?
• Do you believe that your school or job provides a good fit for you to focus? What evidence do you have to support your point of view?
• To what extent is a teacher responsible for student engagement?
• What would you advise Deb’s teacher to do about Deb’s mind-wandering?

References: