ch7

Our attention is very selective and narrow

Studies show that drivers’ attention is too overstretched to react to danger – just as slow, in fact, as when under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

when presented with a long stream of information, we pay much more attention to the information that comes first or last at the expense of everything in the middle.

Primacy Effect: Who would you rather be stuck in an elevator with? Allan, who is smart, ambitious, good looking, critical and jealous? Or Ben, who is jealous, critical, good looking, ambitious and smart?

Most people choose Allan. Even though the descriptions are identical, we are fooled by the primacy effect, which causes us to focus on first impressions that then shape our overall assessments.

Recency Effect: However, if our impressions were formed in the past, then the recency effect controls our attention: the more recently we received the information, the better we are at remembering it.

For example, if you listened to a speech a few weeks ago, then you’ll remember the final point better than either your first impression or the content sandwiched between.