Attentional Capture: Why Your Brain Loses Focus
Scientifically Reviewed · Dr. Marwa Abd-Alazim · August 31, 2026
Medically & Scientifically Reviewed
Verified: August 31, 2026
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This content undergoes rigorous scientific peer-review and medical editorial standards at Arab Psychology Network to ensure clinical accuracy, validity, and compliance with evidence-based guidelines from leading psychological and healthcare authorities (APA / WHO).
the unintentional focusing of attention, for example by a change in a stimulus, which interrupts other processing – for example, the person paying attention to the dog immediate shifted his or her attention to the motor vehicle accident next to him or her.
ATTENTIONAL CAPTURE: “A loud noise that made the person’s head turn rapidly, could be said to have been a source of attentional capture.”
