Alexandra's 10-year-old has the television turned on, and her two teenagers are having a loud argument in the next room.However, she is able to ignore all these distractions and focus on the telephone conversation she is having with her neighbor.This example is an illustration of the phenomenon psychologists refer to as:

Question

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The cocktail party effect refers to the ability to selectively attend to one conversation while ignoring other distractions. In this scenario, Alexandra is able to focus on her phone conversation despite the distractions present in her environment.

Alexandra's 10-Year-Old Has the Television Turned On, and Her Two