Final answer:
Attention can be scientifically studied and is empirically measurable, as demonstrated by experiments on inattentional blindness and selective attention. Damage to brain circuits controlling attention further supports the testable nature of attention-related hypotheses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Data from patients with brain damage to circuits controlling attention does not indicate that attention cannot be studied scientifically. Rather, it demonstrates that attention processes are testable hypotheses. Research on inattentional blindness and selective attention, such as the experiments conducted by Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris, show that when individuals focus intensively on a given task, they can miss unexpected events in their visual field – such as the famous 'invisible gorilla' experiment. These kinds of experiments provide empirical evidence that the mind is closely linked to physical brain function and that attention significantly affects our perception of the environment.
Studies can assess attention by measuring changes in neurophysiological responses and blood flow in the brain during tasks that require focused attention. For instance, visual tasks can be used where subjects are instructed to identify known faces among unknown ones, or to detect changes in a display while focusing on specific items. The observation that brain damage affects attention indicates the possibility of a neurological basis for phenomena such as inattentional blindness and showcases that attention is a scientifically measurable and substantial function of the brain.