The DOI matches its Crossref record; 61 of the 61 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Living “in the zone”: hyperfocus in adult ADHD
Abstract
Adults with ADHD often report episodes of long-lasting, highly focused attention, a surprising report given their tendency to be distracted by irrelevant information. This has been colloquially termed "hyperfocus" (HF). Here, we introduce a novel assessment tool, the "Adult Hyperfocus Questionnaire" and test the preregistered a priori hypothesis that HF is more prevalent in individuals with high levels of ADHD symptomology. We assess (1) a pilot sample (n = 251) and (2) a replication sample (n = 372) of adults with or without ADHD. Participants completed highly validated scales, including the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale, to index ADHD symptomology. Those with higher ADHD symptomology reported higher total and dispositional HF and more frequent HF across each of the three settings (school, hobbies, and screen time) as well as on a fourth subscale describing real-world HF scenarios. These findings are both clinically and scientifically significant, as this is the first study to comprehensively assess HF in adults with high ADHD symptomology and to present a means for assessing HF. Moreover, the sizable prevalence of HF in adults with high levels of ADHD symptomology leads to a need to study it as a potentially separable feature of the ADHD syndrome.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“The term 'hyperfocus' (HF) has been used to characterise this state of heightened, focused attention that individuals with ADHD frequently report (Hupfeld et al., 2019).”
From Intensity and Variable Attention: Counter Narrating ADHD, from ADHD Deficits to ADHD Difference (2023) · cites this paper as Hupfeld et al., 2019
In the citing paper
“Hupfeld et al. (2019) notes that 'adults with ADHD often report episodes of long-lasting, highly focused attention'.”
From Intensity and Variable Attention: Counter Narrating ADHD, from ADHD Deficits to ADHD Difference (2023) · cites this paper as Hupfeld et al., 2019
In the citing paper
“Summarising previous research, Hupfeld et al. (2019) stress the multi-dimensional aspects of HF, that it includes engagement in certain tasks in certain environments, which raises similar questions over the role of environmental cues on ADHD behaviours, where 'only certain situations induce HF' (Hupfeld et al., 2019).”
From Intensity and Variable Attention: Counter Narrating ADHD, from ADHD Deficits to ADHD Difference (2023) · cites this paper as Hupfeld et al., 2019
In the citing paper
“Difficulty among people with ADHD to focus their attention on tasks that are not intrinsically rewarding (Hupfeld et al., 2019;Dodson, 2022), can be linked to the theory of Monotropism in an autistic context as an 'Interest Based Account of Autism' (Murray et al., 2005;Murray, 2019).”
From Intensity and Variable Attention: Counter Narrating ADHD, from ADHD Deficits to ADHD Difference (2023) · cites this paper as Hupfeld et al., 2019
Citations
Cites
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
American Psychiatric Association (2013) · doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 · Cited by 116,369
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Williams, J. B. W., & First, M. B. (2013) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.104 · Cited by 109,845
Internet Addiction: The Emergence of a New Clinical Disorder
YOUNG, K. S. (1998) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/cpb.1998.1.237 · Cited by 5,513
Kessler, R. C., Adler, L., Barkley, R., Biederman, J., Conners, C. K., Demler, O., Faraone, S. V., Greenhill, L. L., Howes, M. J., Secnik, K., et al. (2006) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.2006.163.4.716 · Cited by 3,886
Finding flow: the psychology of engagement with everyday life
(1997) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.35-1828 · Cited by 3,515
HARKing: Hypothesizing after the results are known
Kerr, N. L. (1998) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1207/s15327957pspr0203_4 · Cited by 1,989
Hauser, D. J., & Schwarz, N. (2016) · Behavior Research Methods · doi:10.3758/s13428-015-0578-z · Cited by 1,739
Using Mechanical Turk to Study Clinical Populations
Shapiro, D. N., Chandler, J., & Mueller, P. A. (2013) · Clinical Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/2167702612469015 · Cited by 1,139
Huff, C., & Tingley, D. (2015) · Research & Politics · doi:10.1177/2053168015604648 · Cited by 903
Kessler, R. C., Adler, L. A., Gruber, M. J., Sarawate, C. A., Spencer, T. J., & Brunt, D. L. V. (2007) · International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1002/mpr.208 · Cited by 884
Yen, J.-Y., Ko, C.-H., Yen, C.-F., Wu, H.-Y., & Yang, M.-J. (2007) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.02.002 · Cited by 817
Assessing flow in physical activity: the Flow State Scale-2 and Dispositional Flow Scale-2
Jackson, S. A., & Eklund, R. C. (2002) · Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1123/jsep.24.2.133 · Cited by 800
Weinberg, J. D., Jeremy Freese, A., & McElhattan, D. (2014) · Sociological Science · doi:10.15195/v1.a19 · Cited by 582
Jackson, S. A., Martin, A. J., & Eklund, R. C. (2008) · Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1123/jsep.30.5.561 · Cited by 504
Attention deficit hyperactivity symptoms and Internet addiction
YOO, H. J., CHO, S. C., HA, J., YUNE, S. K., KIM, S. J., HWANG, J., CHUNG, A., SUNG, Y. H., & LYOO, I. K. (2004) · Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences · doi:10.1111/j.1440-1819.2004.01290.x · Cited by 492
College Students With ADHD: Current Status and Future Directions
DuPaul, G. J., Weyandt, L. L., O'Dell, S. M., & Varejao, M. (2009) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/1087054709340650 · Cited by 488
Elkins, I. J., McGue, M., & Iacono, W. G. (2007) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.64.10.1145 · Cited by 480
Ustun, B., Adler, L. A., Rudin, C., Faraone, S. V., Spencer, T. J., Berglund, P., Gruber, M. J., & Kessler, R. C. (2017) · JAMA Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0298 · Cited by 423
Joshi, G., Wozniak, J., Petty, C., Martelon, M. K., Fried, R., Bolfek, A., Kotte, A., Stevens, J., Furtak, S. L., Bourgeois, M., et al. (2013) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-012-1679-5 · Cited by 419
Sjöwall, D., Roth, L., Lindqvist, S., & Thorell, L. B. (2013) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.12006 · Cited by 359
The importance of assessing clinical phenomena in Mechanical Turk research.
Hall, K. A. A., Çek, D., Shaw, A. M., & Timpano, K. R. (2015) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/pas0000217 · Cited by 311
Uninhibited imaginations: Creativity in adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
White, H. A., & Shah, P. (2006) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2005.11.007 · Cited by 302
Self-citationYen, J.-Y., Yen, C.-F., Chen, C.-S., Tang, T.-C., & Ko, C.-H. (2009) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/cpb.2008.0113 · Cited by 297
Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale--IV (BAARS-IV)
Barkley, R. A. (2011) · Cited by 293
Ruminations and Flow: Why Do People with a More Harmonious Passion Experience Higher Well-Being?
Carpentier, J., Mageau, G. A., & Vallerand, R. J. (2011) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-011-9276-4 · Cited by 281
Time perception and reproduction in young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Barkley, R. A., Murphy, K. R., & Bush, T. (2001) · Neuropsychology · doi:10.1037/0894-4105.15.3.351 · Cited by 256
Attention deficit disorder: the unfocused mind in children and adults
(2006) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.43-2832 · Cited by 243
On the Measurement and Conceptualization of Flow
Moneta, G. B. (2012) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-2359-1_2 · Cited by 227
Self-ratings of ADHD symptomas in auts II: reliability, validity, and diagnostic sensitivity
Erhardt, D., Epstein, J. N., Conners, C. K., Parker, J. D. A., & Sitarenios, G. (1999) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/108705479900300304 · Cited by 221
Under Diagnosis of Adult ADHD: Cultural Influences and Societal Burden
Asherson, P., Akehurst, R., Kooij, J. J. S., Huss, M., Beusterien, K., Sasané, R., Gholizadeh, S., & Hodgkins, P. (2012) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/1087054711435360 · Cited by 189
The role of cognitive dysfunction in the symptoms and remission from depression
Gonda, X., Pompili, M., Serafini, G., Carvalho, A. F., Rihmer, Z., & Dome, P. (2015) · Annals of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12991-015-0068-9 · Cited by 173
Dovis, S., Van der Oord, S., Wiers, R. W., & Prins, P. J. M. (2012) · Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology · doi:10.1007/s10802-011-9601-8 · Cited by 165
Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS).
Barkley, R. A. (2011) · Cited by 150
(2010) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 142
Boucugnani, L. L., & Jones, R. W. (1989) · Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology · doi:10.1016/0887-6177(89)90154-6 · Cited by 121
Abramovitch, A., Dar, R., Mittelman, A., & Wilhelm, S. (2015) · Harvard Review of Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/hrp.0000000000000050 · Cited by 120
Neurophysiological differences in inhibitory control between adults with ADHD and their peers
Woltering, S., Liu, Z., Rokeach, A., & Tannock, R. (2013) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.06.023 · Cited by 116
Ruscio, A. M., Seitchik, A. E., Gentes, E. L., Jones, J. D., & Hallion, L. S. (2011) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2011.10.001 · Cited by 115
Adult ADHD and comorbid depression: A consensus-derived diagnostic algorithm for ADHD
Binder, C., McIntosh, Kutcher, S., Levitt, Rosenbluth, & Fallu (2009) · Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment · doi:10.2147/ndt.s4720 · Cited by 110
The reliability and validity of self-and investigator ratings of ADHD in adults
Adler, L. A., Faraone, S. V., Spencer, T. J., Michelson, D., Reimherr, F. W., Glatt, S. J., Marchant, B. K., & Biederman, J. (2008) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/1087054707308503 · Cited by 108
The neural basis of sustained and transient attentional control in young adults with ADHD
Banich, M. T., Burgess, G. C., Depue, B. E., Ruzic, L., Bidwell, L. C., Hitt-Laustsen, S., Du, Y. P., & Willcutt, E. G. (2009) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.07.005 · Cited by 100
Fatseas, M., Hurmic, H., Serre, F., Debrabant, R., Daulouède, J., Denis, C., & Auriacombe, M. (2016) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.10.071 · Cited by 95
Hyperfocusing as a dimension of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Ozel-Kizil, E. T., Kokurcan, A., Aksoy, U. M., Kanat, B. B., Sakarya, D., Baştuğ, G., Çolak, B., Altunöz, U., Kirici, S., Demirbaş, H., et al. (2016) · Research in Developmental Disabilities · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2016.09.016 · Cited by 91
Kofler, M. J., Raiker, J. S., Sarver, D. E., Wells, E. L., & Soto, E. F. (2016) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2016.04.004 · Cited by 88
Co-Occurrence of ASD and ADHD Traits in an Adult Population
Panagiotidi, M., Overton, P. G., & Stafford, T. (2017) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/1087054717720720 · Cited by 75
Bitter, I., Simon, V., Bálint, S., Mészáros, Á., & Czobor, P. (2009) · European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience · doi:10.1007/s00406-009-0076-3 · Cited by 61
Fosco, W. D., Hawk, L. W., Rosch, K. S., & Bubnik, M. G. (2015) · Behavioral and Brain Functions · doi:10.1186/s12993-015-0065-9 · Cited by 53
Lee, D., Lee, J., Lee, J. E., & Jung, Y. (2017) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.02.005 · Cited by 52
Cognitive switching processes in young people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Oades, R. D., & Christiansen, H. (2008) · Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology · doi:10.1016/j.acn.2007.09.002 · Cited by 46
Altered salience processing in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Tegelbeckers, J., Bunzeck, N., Duzel, E., Bonath, B., Flechtner, H., & Krauel, K. (2015) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.22755 · Cited by 42
Sihvola, E., Rose, R. J., Dick, D. M., Korhonen, T., Pulkkinen, L., Raevuori, A., MARTTUNEN, M. J., & Kaprio, J. A. (2011) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291711000791 · Cited by 34
Screening Amazon’s Mechanical Turk for Adults With ADHD
Wymbs, B. T., & Dawson, A. E. (2015) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/1087054715597471 · Cited by 29
Weigard, A. S., Huang‐Pollock, C. L., & Brown, S. D. (2016) · Neuropsychology · doi:10.1037/neu0000257 · Cited by 27
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Successful Completion of Anesthesia Residency
Fitzsimons, M. G., Brookman, J. C., Arnholz, S. H., & Baker, K. H. (2015) · Academic Medicine · doi:10.1097/acm.0000000000000854 · Cited by 25
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Gifted Students
Kaufmann, F. A., & Castellanos, F. X. (2000) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-008043796-5/50044-9 · Cited by 20
Understanding and Treating Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(2006) · American Psychiatric Association Publishing eBooks · doi:10.1176/appi.books.9781615377626 · Cited by 18
Attention Deficit Disorders and Gifted Students: What Do We Really Know? Senior Scholars Series.
Kaufmann, F. A., Kalbfleisch, M. L., & Castellanos, F. X. (2000) · Cited by 17
Ozel-Kizil, E. T., Demirbaş, H., Baştuğ, G., Kirici, S., Tathan, E., Kasmer, N., & Başkak, B. (2013) · European Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1016/s0924-977x(13)70944-1 · Cited by 14
Attention Deficit Disorder in Children and Adults: Strategies for Experiential Educators.
Conner, M. L. (1994) · Cited by 8
Current Notes on Physiography (III.)
Davis, W. M. (1895) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1.11.292 · Cited by 1
Self-Report Habit Index for Reading
Schmidt, F. T. C., & Retelsdorf, J. (2016) · PsycTESTS Dataset · doi:10.1037/t58193-000 · Cited by 1
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Conners C, Erhardt D, Sparrow E (1999) Adult ADHD rating scales: technical manual. Multi-Health Systems Inc, Toronto
- Leimkuhler ME (1994) Attention-deficit disorder in adults and adolescents: cognitive, behavioral, and personality styles. In: Ellison J, Weinstein C, Hodel-Malinofsky T (eds) The psychotherapists’ guide to neuropsychiatric patients: diagnostic and treatment issues. American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC, pp 175–216
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Hyperfocus: the forgotten frontier of attention
Ashinoff, B. K., & Abu-Akel, A. M. (2019) · Psychological Research · doi:10.1007/s00426-019-01245-8 · Cited by 226
ADHD and Technology Research – Investigated by Neurodivergent Readers
Spiel, K., Hornecker, E., Williams, R. M., & Good, J. (2022) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3491102.3517592 · Cited by 150
“For one, this seems to only consider distractability without acknowledging periods of intense focus during which people with ADHD find themselves so immersed in a given activity that we might even ignore bodily needs for as long as possible [82].”
Principles of cognitive control over task focus and task switching
Egner, T. (2023) · Nature Reviews Psychology · doi:10.1038/s44159-023-00234-4 · Cited by 161
“Rather, they can become extremely engrossed in some activities, a state known as hyperfocus 169 .”
BackgroundElsherif, M. M., Middleton, S. L., Phan, J. M., Azevedo, F., Iley, B. J., Grose-Hodge, M., Tyler, S. L., Kapp, S. K., Gourdon-Kanhukamwe, A., Grafton-Clarke, D., et al. (2022) · doi:10.31222/osf.io/k7a9p · Cited by 91
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in elite athletes: a narrative review
Han, D. H., Mcduff, D. R., Thompson, D., Hitchcock, M., Reardon, C. L., & Hainline, B. W. (2019) · British Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1136/bjsports-2019-100713 · Cited by 95
“(highly focus) on their own enjoyable activities without being distracted by regular life activities.(39) The ‘hyperfocus’ traits in”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Hupfeld, K. E., Abagis, T. R., & Shah, P.
- Affiliations
- University of Florida (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hupfeld, Kathleen E.
- Venue
- ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders
- Published
- 2018-09-28
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 191-208
- ISSN
- 1866-6116 (ISSN-L)
- 1866-6647
- OpenAlex
- W2894319308
- Cited by
- 157
- References
- 61
- Citations by year
- 2026: 29 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 3.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- correction (2019-03-08)
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Institute of Education Sciences (R324A150023)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Personal Information Management and User Behavior
- Keywords
- hyperfocus, adult ADHD, attentional focus, distractibility, screen time, hobbies, school environment
- MeSH terms
- Attentional Bias, Adult, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Female, Humans, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Case-Control Studies, Behavior, Addictive, Internet
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
