Many people calmly walked past an older gentleman lying on a city sidewalk without showing any concern. As a consequence, other passersby failed to perceive that the man was in need of immediate medical assistance. This best illustrates the importance of

Question

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The situation described in the question illustrates the context effect in perception. People's perception of the older gentleman lying on the sidewalk was influenced by the context (i.e., the fact that other people were calmly walking past him), which led them to believe that he was not in need of immediate medical assistance. This demonstrates the importance of considering the context when interpreting sensory information.

Many People Calmly Walked Past an Older Gentleman Lying on a City