Mike and Sandy were walking down the street and Mike was telling Sandy a story about a party he went to. As they were walking, a car full of clowns drove past and waved at them. Sandy waved back. Later, Mike reported truthfully that he had never seen the clowns and did not notice that Sandy waved at them. Which of the following could explain this apparent lapse in perception?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Inattentional blindness is a phenomenon where a person fails to notice an unexpected and salient stimulus that is fully visible and within the visual field when their attention is focused on something else. In this scenario, Mike's attention was focused on telling Sandy a story, so he may not have noticed the car full of clowns driving past.

Mike and Sandy Were Walking Down the Street and Mike