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Inattentional blindness 0:29
A 29-second explainer of Inattentional blindness, narrated over the same demo you can try yourself.
Try the interactive Inattentional blindness demo
What this video covers
Inattentional blindness means missing something obvious because your attention is focused elsewhere. When you’re concentrating on one thing, even large, clear elements - like banners or alerts - can go unnoticed, since seeing requires attention, not just open eyes.
You were counting, so you sailed right past the thing that wandered through the middle of the screen - and it was hardly subtle. That's inattentional blindness: attention, not your eyes, decides what you see. It's the reason an important message parked outside the task someone is focused on can go completely unnoticed, no matter how visible you thought you'd made it.
