Simon + Chabris Flashcards
1
Q
key theme + area
A
- key theme
- area
2
Q
inattentional blindness
A
the failure to see an event or object in your field of vision because you are so focused on other elements of what you can see.
3
Q
background
A
- Video based dynamic events by Neisser et al. video of more realistic events. In the recording two teams of basketball players appeared. PPTS were instructed to watch either white shirts or black shirts, and to press a key every time a pass was seen. This
focused their attention. Approx. 30 secs into the film, the ‘unexpected event’
happened, in the form of a woman carrying an umbrella walking across the screen.
4
Q
results of back ground study
A
- 6 reported seeing woman, 22 didn’t
- rates of inattentional blindness were high
- phenomena of inattentional blindness could be created in a lab.
- showed that inattentional blindness could be sustained
because umbrella woman was actually in view for 4 seconds.
5
Q
aim
A
- aimed to use a more realistic video than Neisser to see if it would give similar or different findings
6
Q
sample
A
- self-selected sample
- 228 ppts - majority Harvard students
- data from 192 ppts used (36 either lost count or seen similar video)
- some ppts volunteered without payment others given big candy bar, others received a payment for this + another study
7
Q
materials
A
- 4 videos created, same actors on same day + location
- each video showed two teams with 3 players each (white shirts and black shirts)
- ball passes + order of play standardised
- between 44-48 secs into video unexpected event occurred
8
Q
2 unexpected events
A
- umbrella woman - crossed scene from left to right
- gorilla - gorilla costume crossed scene from left 2 right
only one shown in each clip
9
Q
2 conditions
A
- transparent = 2 teams filmed separately and super imposed on each other
- opaque = all recorded at same time
10
Q
procedure
A
- procedure scripted and standardised
- 21 researchers gathered data from 228 participants
- Ppts were always tested individually
- PPTs informed that the task would involve watching a clip of basketball players and that
they should pay attention to either the white team or black team, and count the number of passes of the ball between the players if the team on which they were to focus.
11
Q
independent variable
A
- type of video - transparent or opaque
- type of event - umbrella or gorilla
- difficulty of the focused task
12
Q
procedure continued
A
- 16 total test conditions each ppts tested in only one condition (independent measures design) after giving consent to take part
- then asked questions
13
Q
questions asked
A
- While you were doing the counting, did you notice anything unusual in the video?
- Did you notice anything other than the 6 players?
- Did you see a gorilla/woman carrying an umbrella walk across the screen?
- also asked if they’d seen anything similar before
- fully debriefed after
14
Q
results
A
- overall level of inattentional blindness recorded was 46%, with 54% noticing the unexpected event.
- transparent video condition,
42% noticed unexpected event compared with 67% in opaque video condition. Yet a significant 33% (1 in 3) of ppts failed to see the object) - as task difficulty increased so so did likelihood of inattentional blindness
- The Umbrella woman seen more times (65%) than the gorilla (44%)
- The gorilla seen more in the black condition (58%) than the white condition (27%).
15
Q
conclusions
A
- Inattentional blindness occurs in dynamic events that are sustained, lasting more than 5 seconds
- Inattentional blindness cannot be explained just as a response to the transparent video
- The findings of this study consistent with earlier computer-based studies + suggests that findings of the computer-based studies do generalise to situations close to real life experiences, as in the opaque video condition.
- Objects can pass through central field of vision + still not be seen if not specifically attended to. consistent with the claim that there is no conscious perception
without attention.
