49. For People to Pay Attention to Something, They Must First Perceive it

49. For People to Pay Attention to Something, They Must First Perceive it

1. signal detection theory

   • stimulus present
     • if detected it's consider a hit
     • if not detected it's a miss
   • stimulus not present
     • if detected is a false alarm
     • if not detected this is correct
   • sensitivity and bias
     • if you're expecting something you are more likely to have a false alarm
     • if you're not expecting something you are more likely to miss
     • if the stimulus is large enough you are more likely to hit it

2. senses

   • sight
     • if you are in total darkness you can see a candle 30 miles away
   • smell
     • you can smell a drop of perfume in 800 sq feet space
   • sound
     • in a quiet room you can hear a watch ticking 20 feet away
   • touch
     • you can feel a human hair on your skin
   • taste
     • you can taste a teaspoon of sugar in 2 gallons of water