Magic Gorilla
Having worked in radiography
for a large portion of my life and seeing their first hand the importance of
seeing things as they are. It is
surprising to note that we do not! Part
of a radiographers skill is seeing information on an image and then responding accordingly.
But what we see does not necessarily relate to what is there. It is hard to
explain this but if we are in overload and if we are receiving a huge amount of
information our brains filter out what it deems is unimportant. Have a look at
the following YouTube video it explains it handsomely.
If you do not believe that then watch this famous video.
- This has an impact on all areas of our lives:
- What you see is not necessarily what is there.
- What you do is not necessarily noticed by those you thing who do.
- What others do is not necessarily what they are doing.
- Magicians have long known about this phenomena.
- What others say happened is not necessarily so.
- Driving cars and texting or I phoning is inherently dangerous.
- Cluttered work interfaces with lots of distractions can lead to errors. (Computer input screens and data entry)
- Instrumentation needs to be well designed and preclude distractions. (Flashing lights, blinking readings etc.)
- Delicate work situations need a sensitive environment.
Police work and interviewing has just got a lot harder.
- Multi-Tasking in some situations is potentially dangerous.
- Overloaded people are more prone to make mistakes caused by Inattentional Blindness.
Cognitive
capture or, cognitive
tunneling, is an Inattentional
blindness phenomenon in which the observer is too focused on
instrumentation, task at hand, internal thought, etc. and not on the present
environment. For example, while driving, if the driver is focused on the
speedometer and not on the road, they are suffering from cognitive capture.
Next time someone tells you he just did not see:
- that post as he hurtled towards it while answering a call,
- that blond in the bikini while he was examining the latest fishing magazine,
- that instruction note on the computer screen while he was directing five students,
- that massive tumour on an image while he was noticing the massive fracture adjacent,
- that hot air balloon while he is counting yellow bellied parrots
He is probably telling the truth. He may be a victim of “The Magic Gorilla”. (Inattentional Blindness)
Getting back to Radiology in a famous study over eighty percent of Radiologists did not pick up a gorilla superimposed on a lungscan.
Lung scan- spot the Gorilla
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/02/11/171409656/why-even-radiologists-can-miss-a-gorilla-hiding-in-plain-sight
Getting back to Radiology in a famous study over eighty percent of Radiologists did not pick up a gorilla superimposed on a lungscan.
Lung scan- spot the Gorillahttp://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/02/11/171409656/why-even-radiologists-can-miss-a-gorilla-hiding-in-plain-sight
I fly fish a lot I love when I am out on the river I see nothing else I think of nothing else, I know then I can be and am a victim and beneficiary of Inattentional Blindness.
Writing has the same effect when you are in the zone nothing else can be seen except the word pictures pouring onto the computer screen or page.
The key to Innattentional Blindness is the instructions you give someone or you are under and the mission your brain and you are on. If you are not looking for a gorilla you probably won't find it!
Think carefully about what you tell people to search for and to concentrate on, be aware that distractions and frenetic activity lead to Inattentional Blindness.
Your brain acts as a filter and a censor-what your eyes are seeing is not necessarily what your brain lets you see.
Take care.
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