Some of us think we’re so attentive that it’s surely just a matter of time before a secret government organisation approaches us to become a covert operative.
I am not one of those people.
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I often miss details that are right in front of my face. I always need jokes explained to me. I wouldn’t call myself unintelligent for not getting the joke, but I’m not what you’d call sharp.
So I was never going to do well on this test.
The world-renowned Selective Attention Test demonstrates the human brain's psychological lack of attention. It's called 'inattentional blindness'.
The phrase was coined by researchers Arien Mack and Irvin Rock in 1992. It happens when we become so focused on one particular thought or task that we're distracted from the environment. An example is when you are watching a historical film set in, say, ancient Greece, and you don’t notice an airplane in the background during a pivotal scene.
The video below was designed by Harvard University researchers Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris as part of an experiment to demonstrate Inattentional Blindness.
Take it to see if you're as eagle-eyed as you think.
By the way, inattentional blindness is involuntary so don’t feel badly if you get it wrong.
I saw 16 passes. How about you?
