We recently discussed the finding that radiologists are unlikely to spot gorillas in their x-rays readings.
I made the point that this is what we want from our radiologists, because if they ignored gorillas, they might be more likely to detect cancer in the X-rays. I called the proposed phenomenon "attention eagle-eye", which coining should really be "attention eagle-eyedness" to make it comparable to "inattention bliindness" (but clumsy). http://www.mail-archive.com/tips%40fsulist.frostburg.edu/msg09600.html Anyway, I see this issue now coming up with the firestorm over the USA's Transport Security Administration to allow small knives on planes. One argument to justify this is that such searching distracts them from their critical task in identifying really dangerous stuff. (I thought I heard this argument being advanced by the TSA, at least in radio news, but all I can come up with is arguments relating to efficiency and expense, e.g. http://snipurl.com/26lj6eg ). But it may be that screeners freed from the need to look for penknives will be better able to detect what really counts. Shouldn't we have some data on this? Stephen -------------------------------------------- Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Bishop's University Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada e-mail: sblack at ubishops.ca --------------------------------------------- --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=24317 or send a blank email to leave-24317-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
