Why we overlook the most important things so often and how to fix it
Miscellaneous / / September 09, 2021
We figure it out together with scientists.
What are the reasons for our carelessness
We tend toD. T. Levin, N. Momen, S. B. Drivdahl IV et al. Change Blindness Blindness: The Metacognitive Error of Overestimating Change-detection Ability / Visual Cognition consider that we see, hear and understand everything. However, our ability to perceive is very limited. For example, sometimes people can spend hours looking for an object that lies right in front of their eyes, and drivers often do not noticeK. Pammer, S. Sabadas, S. Lentern. Allocating Attention to Detect Motorcycles: The Role of Inattentional Blindness / Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society motorcyclists. Scientists have been researching the reasons for such inattention for a long time, and this is what they say.
We are missing out on details that seem insignificant.
The brain tries to filter out information that it considers unimportant. This is necessary so as not to waste resources. Therefore, we often overlook
A. Galpina, G. Underwoodb, D. Crundall. Change blindness in driving scenes / Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behavior details that we do not expect or that seem irrelevant to us. Such information simply does not go beyond the organs. perception.So, in 2007, doctors from France conducted an experiment. In it, radiologists were offeredC. Beigelman-Aubry, C. Hill, P. A. Grenier. Management of an incidentally discovered pulmonary nodule / European Radiology look at an x-ray of a person with lung cancer. The experts were asked if the patient had pneumonia. The doctors replied that pneumonia no. This was absolutely true, but they did not notice any obvious signs of cancer in the picture. Simply because they were not asked about it.
Due to the selectivity of our consciousness, it is possible to miss the really important information.
We cannot see the rapid change
Our brain does not always have time to record instant changes. It is especially difficult to react in cases when we for a short time stop monitoring the situation or something distracts us. For example, if we start to yawn or pay attention to dirt spots on the windshield of the car. There is even a special term to describe such situations - "blindness to change."
At first glance, short losses of concentration distract us greatly. So, American psychologists have provedJ. K. O'Regan, R. A. Rensink, J. J. Clark. Change ‑ blindness as a result of 'mudsplashes' / Naturethat change blindness is one of the causes of car accidents. Because of it, drivers simply do not have time to react to situations on the road.
We don't see gradual changes either
It happensJ. E. Kiat, M. D. Dodd, R. F. Belli et al. The signature of undetected change: an exploratory electrotomographic investigation of gradual change blindness / Journal of Neurophysiology because our ideas about the world around us are constantly being rewritten. And if the change is smooth, the brain takes each update of the picture as insignificant and does not pay attention to it. As a result, it seems to us that everything is still the same, although it is not. That is why, for example, parents do not notice how their children are growing.
The video demonstrates the phenomenon well: gradually the color palette of the picture changes, but during normal playback it escapes attention.
We focus on one thing
Another reason why we can overlook the obvious is "inattention blindness." When we focusT. J. Wright, N. A. Roqueb, W. R. Boot et al. Attention capture, processing speed, and inattentional blindness / Acta Psychologica on a specific task, then we devote our entire attention to it. As a result, we may not see everything else that is happening right before our eyes.
The experiment shown in the video below is most often cited as an example. The voiceover suggests counting how many times young people pass the ball to each other.
Those who watch this video for the first time, so focused on the tracking of passes, which may not be noticed as a man in a gorilla suit enters the center of the frame.
What can be done about it
It is impossible to completely get rid of the limitations of perception, but it is possible to minimize the negative effects. The following tips will help:
- Remember, your perception is limited. You should not rely too much on your experience, attention and reaction, because they easily may fail you. Consider this in your daily activities. For example, even if you are an experienced driver and feel quite comfortable behind the wheel, this is not a reason to relax and be distracted from the road.
- Try to train your memory and attention. For this, experts recommend 1. A Consensus on the Brain Training Industry from the Scientific Community / Stanford Center on Longevity
2. 12 ways to keep your brain young / Harvard Health Publishing get new experience and develop. For example, reading, doing creative work, self-education or sports, playing play chess, collect puzzles and meditate. - Try to avoid additional irritants while performing complex actions. For example, if you are preparing for an important event and are afraid to forget something, ask loved ones not to interfere with you.
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A Master, not a Jedi, is a historian by training. I write about history, psychology and other fields of knowledge, as well as about social phenomena. I study articles and research of scientists, translate from scientific to human. I burn out popular misconceptions and pseudoscience with a hot iron.
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