Research on measuring attention via EEG during cognitive tasks has been extensive, yet the relationship between attention levels in programming and software bug frequency remains underexplored. Debugging is a central, time-intensive phase in software development that often delays project timelines due to the challenges of detecting and resolving errors. This paper conducts a systematic literature review to investigate the potential link between programmers’ attention levels and bug incidence. Through a comprehensive search across major academic databases, EEG is identified as the optimal tool for attention measurement in programming contexts. While EEG is validated for attention assessment, and differences between solo and pair programming contexts are noted, no empirical studies have directly connected EEG-measured attention to bug frequency. This paper proposes future research to bridge this gap, focusing on both solo and pair programming scenarios.