Selective attention happens because we cannot be conscious of all sensation we're receiving at one time.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Our brain filters out some stimuli while attending only to others that are important to us. This is because our attentional resources are limited and we cannot consciously process all the sensory information we receive simultaneously. Therefore, selective attention allows us to focus on relevant stimuli while ignoring irrelevant or distracting ones.

Selective Attention Happens Because We Cannot Be Conscious of All