When scanning an image for signs of disease, medical experts are searching for specific anomalies. But what happens when something completely unexpected appears in plain sight?
Researchers at a leading medical school conducted a study where they inserted a tiny image of a man in a gorilla suit—about 48 times the size of an average lung nodule—into a series of chest CT scans. The scans were shown to 24 experienced radiologists who were asked to search for cancerous nodules.
The researchers concluded that even highly trained experts are prone to "inattentional blindness" when their cognitive focus is intensely directed toward a specific search task, demonstrating the stark limits of human visual processing.
Outline one principle or concept of the cognitive area of psychology and briefly explain how it relates to this article.
