Practise a steady four-minute scan and classify attention errors
This lesson teaches a simple sustained-attention routine. Move through one 60-token grid at a fixed pace of one token every four seconds, mark uppercase X only, notice when attention slips and return to the current token without racing. Score early and late accuracy separately, then repeat with the matched second grid after 3–7 days under the same conditions.
Tutorial curriculum · current public edition · Revision 7T · Full Tutorial Edition
One source of teaching truth
Full individual tutorial · TLU-PWR-097
This lesson teaches a simple sustained-attention routine. Move through one 60-token grid at a fixed pace of one token every four seconds, mark uppercase X only, notice when attention slips and return to the current token without racing. Score early and late accuracy separately, then repeat with the matched second grid after 3–7 days under the same conditions.
Revision 7T · Full Tutorial Edition · complete governed practice tutorial
Practise a steady four-minute scan and classify attention errors
This lesson teaches a simple sustained-attention routine. Move through one 60-token grid at a fixed pace of one token every four seconds, mark uppercase X only, notice when attention slips and return to the current token without racing. Score early and late accuracy separately, then repeat with the matched second grid after 3–7 days under the same conditions.
Authority and safety
Use a comfortable display and response method. Stop for eyestrain, headache, distress, repeated loss of place or declining quality.
Do not use the result as an ADHD screen, intelligence score, character judgement or proof of attention in another setting.
Keep essential notifications and accessibility supports. Change at most one genuinely optional environmental condition.
If two-second pacing is inaccessible, use a support person or a slower declared cue. Compare only trials that use the same pace and access method.
Exact materials
Trial A and Trial B symbol grids below
A pointer, ruler, keyboard cursor, switch or other declared way to track one position
A timer that gives one accessible cue every four seconds, or a helper who gives the same cue
A cover for Trial B and the answer key until they are needed
A record for hits, misses, false alarms, attention-slip tallies and burden from 0 to 5
Set up in this order
Cover Trial B and the answer key. Set the rule: mark uppercase X and nothing else.
Choose one comfortable display and response method. Use the same lighting, notifications, access supports and position for both sessions.
Set one cue every four seconds. Place the pointer on Trial A, line 1, position 1.
At each cue, decide whether the current token is uppercase X, mark it if it is, then move the pointer exactly one position. Do not scan ahead or go back.
If attention slips, make one tally and return to the current position on the next cue. Do not rush to catch up.
After position 60, record burden before opening the key. Score hits, misses and false alarms for lines 1–3 and lines 4–6 separately.
After 3–7 days, run Trial B once with the same four-minute pace and the same conditions. Do not reopen Trial A first.
Compare only the declared task measures. A better second grid is task-specific retention, not diagnosis or proof of attention everywhere.
Supplied fixture
Read left to right at one token every four seconds. Each trial has six lines, 60 tokens, 14 uppercase-X targets and a fixed duration of four minutes.
Trial
Line
Tokens in positions 1 to 10
A
1
A; X; B; C; X; D; E; F; X; G
A
2
X; H; I; J; K; X; L; M; N; O
A
3
P; Q; R; X; S; T; X; U; X; V
A
4
W; Y; Z; A; B; C; D; E; F; G
A
5
H; X; I; X; J; K; L; X; M; X
A
6
N; O; P; Q; X; R; S; T; U; X
B
1
X; A; B; X; C; D; E; X; F; G
B
2
H; I; X; J; K; L; X; M; N; X
B
3
O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; Y
B
4
Z; X; A; B; X; C; X; D; E; F
B
5
G; H; I; X; J; K; L; M; X; N
B
6
O; X; P; Q; R; X; S; T; X; U
Check your work only after you finish
Lock every response first. The checking page is separate so the answers are not exposed inside this exercise.
A hit is a marked uppercase X. A miss is an unmarked X. A false alarm is a marked non-X. Calculate hit rate as hits divided by targets and false-alarm rate as false alarms divided by non-targets for the whole trial and for each half. Also record attention-slip tallies and burden. A valid trial lasts 240 seconds, visits all 60 positions once and keeps the key covered. Treat Trial B as retained task performance only when late-half hit rate is no worse, false alarms and burden do not increase, and the setup is unchanged.
Worked example
Trial A lasts 240 seconds. The learner misses line 3 position 9 and line 6 position 10, marks Y at line 4 position 2, records two attention slips and rates burden 2/5.
Overall Trial A: 12 hits, 2 misses and 1 false alarm; hit rate 12/14 = 85.7% and false-alarm rate 1/46 = 2.2%.
Early Trial A: 7/8 targets hit and 0/22 false alarms. Late Trial A: 5/6 targets hit and 1/24 false alarms.
After 3–7 days, Trial B is run for the same 240 seconds in the same setup. The learner misses line 5 position 9, makes no false alarms, records one attention slip and rates burden 2/5.
Overall Trial B: 13/14 hits = 92.9% and 0/46 false alarms. Early hits are 6/6; late hits are 7/8.
The learner records the task-specific change and does not infer diagnosis, character or attention in another setting.
Correct result: On the matched delayed grid, overall and late-half target detection improve without more false alarms or burden, and attention-slip tallies fall from two to one. This supports retention of this paced scanning routine only; one pair does not prove a general attention improvement.
Right and wrong
Right and wrong comparison
Moment
Right / safer
Wrong / riskier
Why
Keeping place
Move one position on every cue and keep the pointer on the current token.
Sweep ahead for X and then jump back.
A fixed path makes every token and every lapse countable.
Recovering from a lapse
Make one tally and rejoin the current token on the next cue.
Race through several tokens to hide the lapse.
Racing changes the task and creates extra errors.
Using time
Use the same 240-second pace for both grids.
Call an untimed, slower attempt better because it has fewer errors.
Accuracy is not comparable when exposure time changes.
Retesting
Use Trial B after 3–7 days with the setup unchanged.
Change the grid, notifications, lighting and pace at once.
Several changes make the comparison uninterpretable.
Interpreting
Report this task's hits, false alarms, late-half result, slips and burden.
Claim the learner cured an attention problem.
This short task is not diagnosis or broad transfer evidence.
Common mistakes and fixes
Common mistakes and corrections
Mistake
Fix
The learner loses the current position.
Use a ruler or cursor and move exactly one cell on each cue.
The answer key is visible during practice.
Cover or collapse it until the trial and burden rating are complete.
The learner goes back to repair an earlier response.
Leave it, tally the lapse if relevant and continue at the current cue.
Trial B is run immediately after Trial A.
Keep it hidden and wait 3–7 days.
The setup changes between trials.
Restore the same display, response method, access supports and environment before comparing results.
Evidence boundary
What the tutorial may—and may not—claim.
Supportable claim
Sustained-attention performance can change on a practiced task, but current controlled evidence is conflicting and does not establish a broad or durable attention upgrade.
Measurement boundary
Accuracy, errors, reaction-time variability, time-on-task decline and real-task completion must be reported separately; no one measure establishes general attention.
Myth
Unlock endless concentration
Metric
Predeclared vigilance accuracy and variability over time plus an independent real-task endpoint
Boundary
Practice on one attention test cannot establish durable focus everywhere.
Negative and limiting findings
A 100-person active-controlled post-TBI trial found no between-group effect on its preregistered primary sustained-attention outcome.
A large online study found practiced-task improvement without transfer to independent cognitive tests.
Truls Johansen; Martin Matre; Marianne Løvstad; Alexander Olsen; Anne Lund; Anne Catrine Trægde Martinsen; Frank Becker; Cathrine Brunborg; Albert Rizzo; Jacoba M Spikman; Dawn Neumann; Jennie Ponsford; Sveinung Tornås · 2026 · PRIMARY_RESEARCH
Supports only the bounded empirical proposition in the declared configurations. Constrains generalisation, transfer, certainty or efficacy; it is not optional context.
Adrian M Owen; Adam Hampshire; Jessica A Grahn; Robert Stenton; Said Dajani; Alistair S Burns; Robert J Howard; Clive G Ballard · 2010 · PRIMARY_RESEARCH
Supports only the bounded empirical proposition in the declared configurations. Constrains generalisation, transfer, certainty or efficacy; it is not optional context.
Sabrina D Ford; Lindsay S Nagamatsu · 2024 · PRIMARY_RESEARCH
Supports only the bounded empirical proposition in the declared configurations. Constrains generalisation, transfer, certainty or efficacy; it is not optional context.
Tutorial delivery controls
Learn, adapt, troubleshoot and resume
Estimated timeEstimated 20 min reading and worksheet pass
DifficultyIntroductory
EquipmentCommon household or practice equipment
SpaceDesk / seated
Method qualityEstablished10 of 10 structural checks present. Automated method-readiness band; human editorial sign-off is separate.
Evidence contextG1; Focused research depthScientific support is evaluated separately from teaching-method structure.
Editorial reviewPending manual sign-offNo human approval is claimed until reviewer, date and content hash are recorded.
Progress is saved only in this browser on this device.
Step-by-step learner mode
Each activity includes its success check, a nearby accessible alternative and an “I’m stuck” correction path. Alternatives preserve the target where possible; when they change the task, Titan labels them as related rather than equivalent.
01
Cover Trial B and the answer key
Cover Trial B and the answer key. Set the rule: mark uppercase X and nothing else.
Why this step exists
“Cover Trial B and the answer key” carries the authored Sustained attention method into a reviewable output without adding an unstated task, dose or claim.
Success check
Evidence of completion shows the learner followed this exact instruction without adding an unstated step: “Cover Trial B and the answer key. Set the rule: mark uppercase X and nothing else.”
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Cover Trial B and the answer key. Set the rule: mark uppercase X and nothing else.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The answer key is visible during practice.
Correction: Cover or collapse it until the trial and burden rating are complete.
Stop / get help: A governed step-by-step lesson may be completed independently inside its stated limits. Stop if the declared configuration cannot be maintained, uncertainty becomes material, adverse effects appear, or qualified authority is required.
02
Choose one comfortable display and response method
Choose one comfortable display and response method. Use the same lighting, notifications, access supports and position for both sessions.
Why this step exists
“Choose one comfortable display and response method” fixes the exact Sustained attention configuration or decision before later observations are compared.
Success check
The learner can verify “Choose one comfortable display and response method” from the declared materials, position or recorded choice before continuing.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Choose one comfortable display and response method. Use the same lighting, notifications, access supports and position for both sessions.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The setup changes between trials.
Correction: Restore the same display, response method, access supports and environment before comparing results.
Stop / get help: A governed step-by-step lesson may be completed independently inside its stated limits. Stop if the declared configuration cannot be maintained, uncertainty becomes material, adverse effects appear, or qualified authority is required.
03
Set one cue every four seconds
Set one cue every four seconds. Place the pointer on Trial A, line 1, position 1.
Why this step exists
“Set one cue every four seconds” fixes the exact Sustained attention configuration or decision before later observations are compared.
Success check
The learner can verify “Set one cue every four seconds” from the declared materials, position or recorded choice before continuing.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Set one cue every four seconds. Place the pointer on Trial A, line 1, position 1.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “Set one cue every four seconds. Place the pointer on Trial A, line 1, position 1.” does not yet meet this declared check: The learner can verify “Set one cue every four seconds” from the declared materials, position or recorded choice before continuing.
Correction: Return to the start of “Set one cue every four seconds”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “The learner can verify “Set one cue every four seconds” from the declared materials, position or recorded choice before continuing.”
Stop / get help: A governed step-by-step lesson may be completed independently inside its stated limits. Stop if the declared configuration cannot be maintained, uncertainty becomes material, adverse effects appear, or qualified authority is required.
04
At each cue, decide whether the current token is uppercase X, mark…
At each cue, decide whether the current token is uppercase X, mark it if it is, then move the pointer exactly one position. Do not scan ahead or go back.
Why this step exists
“At each cue, decide whether the current token is uppercase X, mark it if it is, then move the pointer exactly one position” fixes the exact Sustained attention configuration or decision before later observations are compared.
Success check
The learner can verify “At each cue, decide whether the current token is uppercase X, mark it if it is, then move the pointer exactly one position” from the declared materials, position or recorded choice before continuing.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “At each cue, decide whether the current token is uppercase X, mark it if it is, then move the pointer exactly one position. Do not scan ahead or go back.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The learner loses the current position.
Correction: Use a ruler or cursor and move exactly one cell on each cue.
Possible snag: The learner goes back to repair an earlier response.
Correction: Leave it, tally the lapse if relevant and continue at the current cue.
Stop / get help: A governed step-by-step lesson may be completed independently inside its stated limits. Stop if the declared configuration cannot be maintained, uncertainty becomes material, adverse effects appear, or qualified authority is required.
05
If attention slips, make one tally and return to the current position…
If attention slips, make one tally and return to the current position on the next cue. Do not rush to catch up.
Why this step exists
“If attention slips, make one tally and return to the current position on the next cue” fixes the exact Sustained attention configuration or decision before later observations are compared.
Success check
The learner can verify “If attention slips, make one tally and return to the current position on the next cue” from the declared materials, position or recorded choice before continuing.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “If attention slips, make one tally and return to the current position on the next cue. Do not rush to catch up.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “If attention slips, make one tally and return to the current position on the next cue. Do not rush to catch up.” does not yet meet this declared check: The learner can verify “If attention slips, make one tally and return to the current position on the next cue” from the declared materials, position or recorded choice before continuing.
Correction: Return to the start of “If attention slips, make one tally and return to the current position…”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “The learner can verify “If attention slips, make one tally and return to the current position on the next cue” from the declared materials, position or recorded choice before continuing.”
Stop / get help: A governed step-by-step lesson may be completed independently inside its stated limits. Stop if the declared configuration cannot be maintained, uncertainty becomes material, adverse effects appear, or qualified authority is required.
06
After position 60, record burden before opening the key
After position 60, record burden before opening the key. Score hits, misses and false alarms for lines 1–3 and lines 4–6 separately.
Why this step exists
“After position 60, record burden before opening the key” fixes the exact Sustained attention configuration or decision before later observations are compared.
Success check
The work shows the value requested by “After position 60, record burden before opening the key”, retains the supplied units or signs and leaves any unsupported value unknown.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “After position 60, record burden before opening the key. Score hits, misses and false alarms for lines 1–3 and lines 4–6 separately.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “After position 60, record burden before opening the key. Score hits, misses and false alarms for lines 1–3 and lines 4–6 separately.” does not yet meet this declared check: The work shows the value requested by “After position 60, record burden before opening the key”, retains the supplied units or signs and leaves any unsupported value unknown.
Correction: Return to the start of “After position 60, record burden before opening the key”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “The work shows the value requested by “After position 60, record burden before opening the key”, retains the supplied units or signs and leaves any unsupported value unknown.”
Stop / get help: A governed step-by-step lesson may be completed independently inside its stated limits. Stop if the declared configuration cannot be maintained, uncertainty becomes material, adverse effects appear, or qualified authority is required.
07
After 3–7 days, run Trial B once with the same four-minute pace…
After 3–7 days, run Trial B once with the same four-minute pace and the same conditions. Do not reopen Trial A first.
Why this step exists
“After 3–7 days, run Trial B once with the same four-minute pace and the same conditions” isolates the named Sustained attention task while preserving its configuration, stopping rule and measurement boundary.
Success check
Evidence of completion shows the learner followed this exact instruction without adding an unstated step: “After 3–7 days, run Trial B once with the same four-minute pace and the same conditions. Do not reopen Trial A first.”
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “After 3–7 days, run Trial B once with the same four-minute pace and the same conditions. Do not reopen Trial A first.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: Trial B is run immediately after Trial A.
Correction: Keep it hidden and wait 3–7 days.
Stop / get help: A governed step-by-step lesson may be completed independently inside its stated limits. Stop if the declared configuration cannot be maintained, uncertainty becomes material, adverse effects appear, or qualified authority is required.
08
Compare only the declared task measures
Compare only the declared task measures. A better second grid is task-specific retention, not diagnosis or proof of attention everywhere.
Why this step exists
“Compare only the declared task measures” isolates the named evidence distinction so the learner can interpret Sustained attention without extending the claim.
Success check
The output directly answers “Compare only the declared task measures”, names the relevant distinction and stays within the supplied record.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Compare only the declared task measures. A better second grid is task-specific retention, not diagnosis or proof of attention everywhere.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “Compare only the declared task measures. A better second grid is task-specific retention, not diagnosis or proof of attention everywhere.” does not yet meet this declared check: The output directly answers “Compare only the declared task measures”, names the relevant distinction and stays within the supplied record.
Correction: Return to the start of “Compare only the declared task measures”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “The output directly answers “Compare only the declared task measures”, names the relevant distinction and stays within the supplied record.”
Stop / get help: A governed step-by-step lesson may be completed independently inside its stated limits. Stop if the declared configuration cannot be maintained, uncertainty becomes material, adverse effects appear, or qualified authority is required.
Correct versus incorrect execution
These accessible process diagrams are built from the tutorial’s own right/wrong teaching. They are not anatomical illustrations and do not add technique beyond the canonical tutorial.
Keeping place — A fixed path makes every token and every lapse countable.
Correct / safer
Move one position on every cue and keep the pointer on the current token.
Wrong / riskier
Sweep ahead for X and then jump back.
Recovering from a lapse — Racing changes the task and creates extra errors.
Correct / safer
Make one tally and rejoin the current token on the next cue.
Wrong / riskier
Race through several tokens to hide the lapse.
Using time — Accuracy is not comparable when exposure time changes.
Correct / safer
Use the same 240-second pace for both grids.
Wrong / riskier
Call an untimed, slower attempt better because it has fewer errors.
Retesting — Several changes make the comparison uninterpretable.
Correct / safer
Use Trial B after 3–7 days with the setup unchanged.
Wrong / riskier
Change the grid, notifications, lighting and pace at once.
Interpreting — This short task is not diagnosis or broad transfer evidence.
Correct / safer
Report this task's hits, false alarms, late-half result, slips and burden.
Wrong / riskier
Claim the learner cured an attention problem.
Method-structure checklist
10 of 10 structural checks present
✓ Ordered, Power-specific instructions — present
✓ Every activity has a success check — present
✓ Materials or supplied records are declared — present
✓ Measurement or assessment rule is present — present
✓ Tutorial-specific troubleshooting is present — present
✓ Stopping or escalation boundary is present — present
✓ Every activity has an adjacent alternative — present
✓ Correct-versus-incorrect comparison is present — present
✓ Evidence context is bound to the Power record — present
✓ Planning metadata is present — present
The method-readiness band and presence checklist assess tutorial presentation and are separate from evidence quality for the underlying Power. They are automated editorial aids, not human approval.
Manual editorial sign-off: Pending. This tutorial must not display a human-approved state until an identified editor signs the exact content hash.