Focus and Distraction 2025 (Dataset, n=790)

This dataset is part of the Human Clarity Institute’s <b>AI–Human Experience 2025</b> data series. It examines digital focus, distraction triggers, and the emotional experience of losing focus, including task-sustainability duration, primary sources of digital distraction, and self-reported emotional states linked to focus loss.The dataset includes:<br>• validated 1–7 Likert-scale items<br>• categorical measures of single-task focus duration and perceived focus quality<br>• behavioural indicators such as distraction sources, coping strategies, and focus-maintenance habits<br>• multi-select variables stored as canonical semicolon-delimited snake_case tokens<br>• open-text reflections with minimal safe cleaning (trim + newline removal only)<br>• demographic variables across six English-speaking countries<br>• digital life exposure (daily hours online) and AI-tool usage frequencyData were collected on 3 September 2025 via Prolific from adults in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland.<br>All data were cleaned, anonymised, and processed under the Human Clarity Institute’s machine-readable dataset protocol, which includes:• canonical snake_case variable naming<br>• validated numeric and categorical ranges<br>• standardised multi-select formats<br>• minimal safe text cleaning<br>• full alignment with the accompanying data dictionary<br>• removal of Prolific IDs, timestamps, and indirect identifiers<br>• SHA-256 checksums for all files<br>• removal of 6 duplicate submissions (final n = 790)This dataset contributes to understanding how digital environments shape human focus, attention sustainability, and subjective distraction experience, supporting longitudinal tracking of how cognitive load, distraction patterns, and self-regulation behaviours evolve as AI and digital tools become more embedded in everyday life.