distractibility

[ dih-strak-tuh-bil-i-tee ]

noun

, Psychiatry.

1. inability to sustain one's attention or attentiveness, which is rapidly diverted from one topic to another: a symptom of a variety of mental disorders, as manic disorder, schizophrenia, or anxiety states.

Word History and Origins

Origin of distractibility¹

First recorded in 1900–05; distract + -ibility

Example Sentences

It was defined as a cycle of extremes; patients experienced recurring episodes of depression symptoms, then separate intervals of mania, which could include “hyperactivity, pressure of speech, flight of ideas, inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, and excessive involvement in activities that have a high potential for painful consequences.”

From Slate

The discovery suggests that efforts to improve working memory and tackle distractibility in children during their crucial early months may reduce or prevent cognitive disadvantages later in life.

From Science Daily

THC can pass through the placenta into the fetus’s bloodstream, and maternal cannabis use is associated with children having poorer attention, visual functioning, language comprehension, impulse control and distractibility.

From Washington Post

Accept your distractibility The first step to mitigating distractions when working from home is to accept that you become distracted because humans are distractible.

From The Verge

Arthur Kornhaber, a child psychiatrist, became interested in the subject after treating a young patient named Billy, who had come to see him because of problems with attention, distractibility and dealing with frustration—symptoms that seemed to ease, Kornhaber learned, when Billy’s grandmother was around.

From Scientific American