What is an attentional blink?

An "attentional blink" refers to a phenomenon where, after detecting a specific piece of information, our brain momentarily shuts off from processing subsequent stimuli. This can be illustrated through tasks such as identifying specific targets amongst rapidly presented items, like letters or numbers. For instance, if you're asked to spot two specific letters in a sequence, detecting the first often results in missing the second due to this brief period of inattention.

This phenomenon is especially pronounced in individuals with ADHD, who may experience more frequent attentional blinks compared to others. This contributes to the challenges in sustaining focus and managing distractibility in ADHD 1.