Are you really getting Are you really getting the Big Picture?the Big Picture?

Inattention Blindness and Inattention Blindness and its effect on the driverits effect on the driver

Greg Hendricks, BSN, RNGreg Hendricks, BSN, RN

Awareness ExerciseAwareness Exercise

• Observe the following video very Observe the following video very carefullycarefully

• Picture yourself behind the wheel of a Picture yourself behind the wheel of a vehiclevehicle

• Count how many times the team in Count how many times the team in

WHITEWHITE passes the basketball passes the basketball

• Ask yourself, did I get the Big Picture?Ask yourself, did I get the Big Picture?

Video courtesy of: Transport for London, Cycle Safety CampaignVideo courtesy of: Transport for London, Cycle Safety Campaign

Awareness Exercise

• How many people spotted the gorilla?How many people spotted the gorilla?

• Don’t feel bad, typically 25-33% of Don’t feel bad, typically 25-33% of people don’t see it people don’t see it

• Why is this?Why is this?

• Were you really paying attention?Were you really paying attention?

Inattention BlindnessInattention Blindness

AttentionAttention• The process that brings a stimulus into our The process that brings a stimulus into our

consciousnessconsciousness

• A process that permits us to notice A process that permits us to notice somethingsomething

• Involuntary – our attention is captured by Involuntary – our attention is captured by an event or objectan event or object

• Voluntary – we intend to notice an objectVoluntary – we intend to notice an object

““It is a well-known phenomenon that we do not It is a well-known phenomenon that we do not notice anything happening in our surroundings notice anything happening in our surroundings while being absorbed in the inspection of while being absorbed in the inspection of something; focusing our attention on a certain something; focusing our attention on a certain object may happen to such an extent that we object may happen to such an extent that we cannot perceive other objects placed in the cannot perceive other objects placed in the peripheral parts of our visual field, although the peripheral parts of our visual field, although the light rays they emit arrive completely at the light rays they emit arrive completely at the visual sphere of the cerebral cortex.”visual sphere of the cerebral cortex.”

Rezso Balint, Hungarian Neurologist (1874-1929)Rezso Balint, Hungarian Neurologist (1874-1929)

19071907

Meaning:Meaning:• We can get easily absorbed into

everything going on in front of us and miss out on things that are happening in our periphery

• The object we didn’t “see” was transmitted to our brain with everything else, but we still failed to recognize it

• We’re looking, but we’re not seeing!!!!We’re looking, but we’re not seeing!!!!