A LITTLE LIGHTBULB MOMENT
Psychology: cognition, learning and development
Selective attention
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Hear your name through café noise
The idea behind the cue
Selective attention is focusing on one stream of information while filtering competing input. It is limited: very salient, personally relevant, or unexpected stimuli can still capture attention. The classic “cocktail party effect” shows that some unattended information can break through.
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Short & simple
Hear your name through café noise
Acronym
SFS — Sleepy Flamingos Snore.
Story
At a crowded party, Maya follows her friend’s voice while music and laughter swirl around her. Then her head snaps around when she hears her name across the room, as if the signal suddenly got a spotlight.
Connect the pieces
- S (Sleepy) → Selection: Focus on one stream of information.
- F (Flamingos) → Filtering: Competing input is screened out, but not perfectly.
- S (Snore) → Salience: Highly relevant, vivid, or unexpected input can still break through.
- Sleepy · Selection: Focus on one stream of information.
- Flamingos · Filtering: Competing input is screened out, but not perfectly.
- Snore · Salience: Highly relevant, vivid, or unexpected input can still break through.
Know the limits
Filtering is strong but not perfect; some unattended information is still processed, especially if it is highly relevant or salient.
Further reading · OpenStax science textbooks ↗Check your understanding
A student follows a lecture despite hallway noise, yet instantly turns when hearing her own name. Which concept best explains this?
A. Selective attention
B. Iconic memory
C. Classical conditioning
D. Semantic satiation
Reveal explanation
Selective attention
Selective attention filters competing input but lets especially relevant stimuli, like one’s own name, capture attention.