College students talking on cell phones while walking through campus were much less likely to notice a clown ride past them on a unicycle than students not talking on cell phones, best illustrating:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Inattentional blindness refers to the phenomenon where individuals fail to notice unexpected stimuli in their environment when they are engaged in a primary task, such as talking on a cell phone while walking. In this case, the students were so focused on their conversation that they failed to notice the clown on a unicycle riding past them.

College Students Talking on Cell Phones While Walking Through Campus