dobtention

Dobtention is a neologism that appears mainly in online forums and speculative writing to describe a proposed cognitive process in which an individual maintains a mental intention while delaying or deferring the corresponding action. It is not an established term in psychology, neuroscience, or cognitive science, and there is no consensus on a single formal definition.

The origin of the word is unclear. It seems to be a blend of "do" and "attention" or "retention," and may have arisen from discussions of task management, intention, or action initiation. Because it lacks formal recognition, its usage is informal and varies by author.

Some usages define dobtention as the persistence of an intention across interruptions or competing demands, enabling planning and future action. Others frame it as a deliberate period of cognitive maintenance, during which resources are allocated to preparing forthcoming behavior while actual execution is withheld.

Given the absence of systematic research, dobtention has limited applicability in empirical settings and is often used mainly for worldbuilding, philosophy discussions, or speculative theory. Critics argue that without clear definition or measurement the term risk conflating existing concepts such as intention maintenance, executive control, procrastination, or task planning.