In a nutshell
Someone concentrating on counting passes may miss an unexpected person in the same video. The stimulus reaches the eyes but is not necessarily consciously noticed.
Why does it happen?
Attention favors features that match the current task. Unexpected events outside this search focus can therefore go unnoticed even when clearly visible. How far such a stimulus is nevertheless processed unconsciously depends on the task and method of measurement.
Frequency
Inattentional blindness is common in demanding attention tasks. How many people miss an unexpected object depends strongly on the task and stimulus.
Frequency is a qualitative description, not your individual probability.
Is it normal?
It is not evidence of poor eyesight or low intelligence.
Does this happen to you?
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Sources (1)
- Gorillas in Our Midst: Sustained Inattentional Blindness for Dynamic Events (opens a new tab)
In a focused visual task, participants miss unexpected, clearly visible events.
Editorial update: . AI-assisted research and editing; not individually reviewed by a physician. How we research
