Attention Under Rapid Visual Load
Reflex Lab · attention & errors
Reaction speed is only half the story. Sustained attention decides whether you can keep delivering that speed without drifting into mistakes.
Sustained attention vs momentary RT
You can post a great single reaction trial and still fail a two-minute rapid task. Vigilance declines, mind-wandering increases, and “looked but failed to see” errors appear.
Why distractions increase errors
Notifications, audio, and on-screen clutter steal the same limited attentional resource used to classify targets. In no-go tasks, distraction especially raises false alarms.
Practical implications
- Test reaction time in a quiet, full-screen context before judging your baseline.
- In training games, introduce distractions gradually (Focus Drop’s phantoms/decoys) rather than all at once.
- Short focused sessions often beat long fatigued grind for learning impulse control.
Related: What is reaction time? · Run the test.