Editorial Assistants: Elisabeth Höhne and Maren Giersiepen.

Note: An earlier version of this article has been published in the German version of In-Mind.

Can skipping breakfast blur your focus? A recent study found that hunger alone did not alter concentration—but participants expecting hunger to sharpen their minds performed better than those anticipating a slump. The results suggest beliefs about hunger can steer cognitive performance and should inform health messaging.

Have you ever heard that skipping breakfast can cause concentration problems? Or that a slight feeling of hunger sharpens