Beginning with a series of several self-report questionnaire studies I examine the potential for everyday attention lapses to create an inability to form connections to the external world, particularly through the experience of chronic boredom, and to subsequently lead to depression. In the first study I examine this process through the intermediate role of memory failures in the onset of boredom and depression, while in the second I examine the role of self-efficacy and in the third I add psychological stress as a further intermediate step between attention lapses and depression. For each study significant associations are found between self-report measures of attention lapses and attention-related cognitive errors, as presumed causes, and boredom proneness and depression as presumed outcomes. Structural equation modeling is then used to show these associations are well explained by an Attention-to-Affect model in which the attention lapses and attention-related errors predict the onset of boredom and depression, in part through their effects on memory failures (Chapter 1), perceived self-efficacy (Chapter 2), and psychological stress (Chapter 3). That these Attention-to-Affect models provide much better fit for the data runs contrary to the typical conception of attention and memory problems as consequences of emotional distress. Following from these models I examine in more specific terms the disconnect experienced as a result of attention lapses, through a laboratory study employing the Sustained Attention to Response Task. This study (Chapter 4) revealed a significant influence of attentional challenges on blinking behaviour, suggesting that whenever our attentional capacity is tested we have a tendency to momentarily direct our thoughts inwardly, perhaps to re-evaluate our attentional performance, and that the timeframe of this redirection is expanded following lapses of attention, and the commission of attention-related errors.

Beginning with a series of several self-report questionnaire studies I examine the potential for everyday attention lapses to create an inability to form connections to the external world, particularly through the experience of chronic boredom, and to subsequently lead to depression. In the first study I examine this process through the intermediate role of memory failures in the onset of boredom and depression, while in the second I examine the role of self-efficacy and in the third I add psychological stress as a further intermediate step between attention lapses and depression. For each study significant associations are found between self-report measures of attention lapses and attention-related cognitive errors, as presumed causes, and boredom proneness and depression as presumed outcomes. Structural equation modeling is then used to show these associations are well explained by an Attention-to-Affect model in which the attention lapses and attention-related errors predict the onset of boredom and depression, in part through their effects on memory failures (Chapter 1), perceived self-efficacy (Chapter 2), and psychological stress (Chapter 3). That these Attention-to-Affect models provide much better fit for the data runs contrary to the typical conception of attention and memory problems as consequences of emotional distress. Following from these models I examine in more specific terms the disconnect experienced as a result of attention lapses, through a laboratory study employing the Sustained Attention to Response Task. This study (Chapter 4) revealed a significant influence of attentional challenges on blinking behaviour, suggesting that whenever our attentional capacity is tested we have a tendency to momentarily direct our thoughts inwardly, perhaps to re-evaluate our attentional performance, and that the timeframe of this redirection is expanded following lapses of attention, and the commission of attention-related errors.

Cognitive failures (CF) refers to the experience of daily attentional lapses or workingmemory mishaps; for example, reading something and instantly forgetting what you haveread, or experiencing missing out on obvious information from street signs. Relationsbetween CF and psychological stress have been found, where higher levels of stress indicatea higher risk of experiencing CF, and the other way around. Psychological stress is proven tobe moderated by physical activity. However, there are scarce findings on the directrelationship between physical activity and CF. This thesis investigates by a cross-sectionalobservational design if there is a relationship between cognitive failures and physical activityin the middle-aged population. All data were collected by a web-based survey with thequestionnaires CFQ, IPAQ and PSS-10 followed by the short task Digit Span. The sampleconsisted of 78 participants between the ages of 50-65 (M = 56). A two-stage hierarchicallinear regression was performed. The results showed no association between CF and physicalactivity, however CF was associated with stress and sex. The results are confirming previousfindings in terms of the relationship between CF and stress, as well as the small, yetsignificant, sex difference where women tend to report higher levels of stress and higherlevels of CF. Further research is of need, to investigate the direct interventional effectphysical activity could have on CF in the general population. / “Cognitive failures” (CF) syftar på de dagliga hjärnsläpp man upplever relaterade tilluppmärksamhet, arbetsminne och perception; till exempel att läsa något och omedelbartglömma vad du har läst, eller att missa att notera uppenbara gatuskyltar. Samband mellan CFoch psykologisk stress har hittats, där högre nivåer av stress indikerar högre risk för CF, ochvice versa. Psykologisk stress har visats minskas av fysisk aktivitet. Det finns dock få fyndom det direkta sambandet mellan fysisk aktivitet och CF. Den här uppsatsen undersökergenom en tvärsnittsdesign om det finns ett samband mellan CF och fysisk aktivitet i dengenerella medelålders befolkningen. Studien genomfördes genom en webbaseradundersökning med enkäterna CFQ, IPAQ och PSS-10 följt av en kort objektiv övning.Urvalet bestod av 78 deltagare mellan 50-65 år (M = 56). En tvåstegs-hierarkisk linjärregression genomfördes. Resultaten visade inget signifikant samband mellan CF och fysiskaktivitet, dock fanns samband mellan CF och stress samt kön. Denna studie bekräftar tidigarefynd både gällande sambandet mellan CF och stress såväl som en mindre, men signifikant,könsskillnad, där kvinnor tenderar att rapportera högre nivåer av stress samt högre nivåer avCF. Framtida studier i ämnet behövs för att undersöka den direkta interventionella effektenfysisk aktivitet kan ha på CF i den generella befolkningen.