Describe attention being occupied without diagnosing its cause
Three items ask how thinking about problems occupies attention or competes with other activities. Their sum is self-report rather than an attention test, sleep scale or neurological assessment.
Add items 5, 10 and 15, each scored 0–4 with no reversal. All three numeric responses are required for the 0–12 sum. Do not turn the result into a percentage of mental capacity lost.
The questionnaire records an experience of occupied attention
This subscale concerns the extent to which thinking about problems feels incompatible with other activity or takes up attention. It does not test reaction time, memory, sleep or neurological functioning. Many circumstances can affect concentration, and the questionnaire cannot determine their causes. It should not be used to infer ADHD, another diagnosis or a fixed capacity to concentrate.
Follow three answers without estimating lost capacity
The fictional example answers 1, 1 and 3 for items 5, 10 and 15, totaling 5 out of 12. Five is not five percent of attention lost, an impairment grade or a cutoff. The three-item sum is kept separate from the nine-item core sum; their possible maxima differ and do not support a strongest-domain label.
A page can remain open while attention is elsewhere
Imagine trying to read a short notice while the same concern keeps taking your attention. You may reach the bottom without remembering what you read. This fictional example describes one possible experience; it does not prove that repeated thinking caused any real concentration difficulty. The form does not observe your reading or know whether the notice, environment or another factor was involved.
A missing response remains different from Never
Choose zero when Never is the answer you intend, and unscored when you cannot judge or prefer not to answer. One unscored choice withholds this subscale and the total without lowering other complete sums. A low sum does not establish that concentration is always easy, and a high sum does not establish a disorder or dictate a work restriction.
Describe what interferes and what support is needed
If useful, note the activity, the interruption you noticed and whether a different setting or a pause changed the experience. Keep the private thought content out of any public record. If concentration difficulties are persistent, distressing or affecting everyday life, a qualified professional can consider the wider situation. This page does not tell you to suppress thoughts, change medication or use a score as a self-treatment plan.
Keep an attention report distinct from an objective test
The original paper’s evidence included self-report measures and noted the need for further behavioral research. It does not turn this sum into an observed attention score. The new Chinese translation and web changes do not inherit validation automatically. The published English material is credited under CC BY 3.0, with FermatMind adaptations identified and no author endorsement, diagnosis or career-match claim.