Project description
A closer look at distraction and focus
Distraction, whether from external stimuli like phones or internal thoughts, is a widespread issue that hampers our ability to focus on both personal and global challenges. Despite its prevalence, we lack a clear understanding of how and why distraction occurs and how it contrasts with flow states – periods of deep focus. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MIND-FLOW project aims to bridge this gap by mapping transitions between different attentional states. Through the use of behavioural measures, eye-tracking, and computational modelling, the project seeks to identify the mechanisms behind these transitions and explore how contextual factors influence the time spent in each state, potentially paving the way for strategies to enhance focus and reduce distraction.
Objective
We often choose to distract our minds, either externally (e.g. looking at our phone) or internally (e.g. thinking about weekend plans). It is currently not clear how, when, or why we (choose to) become distracted, nor do we have a mechanistic understanding of flow states, in which there is minimal distraction. This is a pressing issue, as distraction is omnipresent in our society, obstructing our capacity to focus both on personal goals and the many challenges humanity faces. To advance our understanding on how distraction occurs, we must overcome the current practice in which different attentional states are studied in isolation. I propose to capture the different research fields on attention in a single space defined by the dimensions direction (external vs. internal) and locus (on-task vs. distracted), distinguishing four attentional states (i.e. On-Task-External, On-Task-Internal, External Distraction, and Mind Wandering). The objective of the MIND-FLOW project is to map the dynamical transitions between these states and to causally influence the amount of time people spend in each of them. I will use behavioral measures, eye-tracking, and pupillometry to capture these states and quantify the dwelling times and a transition matrix through computational modeling. Inspired by recent empirical work on attention switching and neurobiological models of mind wandering, I hypothesize (i) the existence of an Off-Focus state through which these dynamical transitions occur, (ii) that internal bias and goal value determine which areas are visited most, and (iii) that contextual manipulations can alter the relative times spent in each area. I will test these predictions by a model-comparison approach and within-subject experimental manipulations of context volatility and task difficulty. Bridging these different fields of attentional research will increase cross-talk between them and provide building blocks for interventions targeting healthy attentional engagement.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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9019 Tromso
Norway
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