Want to learn a little bit about the way you perceive the world? Watch the "Selective Attention Video" video below and follow the instructions. The goal of the task is to count how many times the people wearing white pass the ball.
Did you watch the video? How did you do?
This video is part of a series of experiments done by professor Daniel Simons, head of the Visual Cognition Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. This video shows how we can zero in on one event, and meanwhile not see another event that is occurring right in front of us. This phenomenon of being "blind" to an unattended event is called inattentional blindness. So while we may think we are aware of the world around us, there are tricky ways in which our attention and perception can deceive us.
Now that you have an idea of what Simons' research is about, try watching this video:
How did you do this time?
Although you were probably aware that something strange was going to happen in the video, in all likelihood you still were not able to capture all of the changes. Even though these videos are extreme and humorous examples of inattentional blindness, it does occur in our everyday lives.
While watching a play, you may be focused on a certain character on the stage and not perceive actions on other parts of the stage. Even though you can technically see those other actions, you will not perceive them because you are not focused on them. Inattentional blindness is one of the many ways in which our brain imperfectly represents the world around us. To learn more about Simons and his other studies, visit his research website or his book website.
Posts in Gator Minds appear on Wednesdays.
