As I was driving home the other night, I heard a radio report talking about how people generally aren’t nearly as attentive visually as they think they are. Of course we ALL think, “That’s so true about MOST people, but I’m really aware of what’s going on around me.”
Do me a favor … before you keep reading, try this attention test.
What most of you just experienced is called Inattentional Blindness (or Perception Blindness) and, really, it’s a fascinating glimpse into HOW our brains work … and how much of a grain of salt we need to take even with things we’re SURE we saw (or didn’t see).
Just so you feel a little better, this video shows a whole GROUP of people watching a similar video together. Note that about 80% of them completely missed the sight, too.
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Makes you wonder how anyone can get convicted on the basis of eyewitness testimony.
I suspect there would be a BIG difference if viewers were just told “pay attention to what’s happening here” instead of asked to focus on ONE thing. If, for instance, I’m driving, I focus most of my attention on what’s in the path of my vehicle. A moonwalking bear may escape my notice if it’s on the side of the road instead of moonwalking across the street in front of me. But if someone’s driving, they SHOULD be focusing their attention on things they don’t want to hit. Likewise, when given the task (how many passes?) the moonwalking bear is NOT a part of that task. If the task is important, focus is good…
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