Attention training, judgment, character, and will
Can training attention improve judgment, character, and will?
This idea builds from the classic claim that voluntarily returning wandering attention is central to judgment and will. A contemporary research version would ask which parts of attention training transfer to decision-making, self-regulation, moral behavior, or education.
Possible study designs:
- Compare attention training, study-skills training, and active-control interventions.
- Test transfer to delay of gratification, reasoning, interpersonal patience, or persistence.
- Examine whether gains depend on meta-awareness, attentional stability, or motivation.
Key risks:
- Far-transfer claims are often fragile.
- Attention training may improve task-specific performance without changing broader character or will.
Related ideas: