Change Blindness
Change blindness occurs when an observer fails to notice dramatic changes in an object or a scene. We often fail to notice changes in our visual field because the changes occur simultaneously with events that disturb our visual continuity. Such events include a lack of attention, obstructions to the visual field, and our own saccadic eye movements. Neuroimaging studies have revealed that the parietal and right dorsolateral prefontal lobes play a major role in change blindness. These areas of the brain show strong activation when a change in the environment is detected, and decreased activity when a change is not detected. Research has also revealed that those demonstrating Expertise in a particular area will notice changes faster than novices, and that the severity of change blindness increases with age. Real world applications in the areas of eye-witness testimony and driving performance has presently increased the interest in change blindness, making it a popular, robust area of study.
Testing For Change Blindness
Flicker Paradigm-Participants shown quick "flickering" between the two images until the change is recognized. Tests for speed and accuracy to detect changes
Forced Choice Detection Paradigm-Participants shown each picture once, and are then asked to tell the difference. Reveals that even when participants are instructed to consciously look for a change, the change may still go unnoticed
Mudsplashes-Images contain strategically placed shapes that do not cover the change in the picture, but could possibly prevent the change from being noticed. Reveals how visual obstructions can be dangerous, preventing us from noticing significant changes in our environment.
Related References
- "Experimental Psychology-Change Blindness"-Demonstrates the famous "person swap" study conducted at Harvard University
- "Colour Changing Card Trick"-Richard Wiseman demonstrates the effects of selective visual attention on change blindness.
- "J. Kevin O'Regan"-Find out more about the man who first coined the phrase "change blindness"
- " Change Blindness Demo"-Test your change blindness through this demonstration of the flicker paradigm.
- "Change Blindness Can Cause Mistaken Eyewitness Identification" -A study that investigates the effects of change blindness on eyewitness testimony.
- "Change Blindness, Attention, and Driving Performance"-This article takes a look at the relationship between older drivers and their ability to recognize dangerous changes in the environment while driving.
- "The development of change blindness: children's attentional priorities whilst viewing naturalistic scenes"--This article compares the change blindness of adults to those of children aged 6-12
- "On the Applications of Change Blindness"-This article takes a look at the practical applications of change blindness.
- "The Flicker Paradigm Provides Converging Evidence for a 3-item Limit on Working Memory"-The Flicker Paradigm is used not only to test change blindness, but also to test the capacity of our working memory.
- "Change Blindness to Gradual Changes in Facial Expressions"-In this article, researchers test participants ability to recognize the changes in facial expressions over changes in pictures/events.
Wiki Create by: Crystal Smith
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