WHY YOU CAN ' T SEE WHAT YOU WANT
How to Avoid Information Blindness BY GANG JUNG MIN
The accident of Air France Flight 447 is remembered as a terrible accident with heavy casualties . It was the fault of pilots who sank into cognitive tunneling . Often , the scope of our focus differs from our intention . We usually pay attention to one point or release it .
If we see the role of our brain that controls attention like a computer or an automatic system , its easy to understand that the spotlight of our brain is spread out and diffused . This reaction is one of the efforts made by our brain in order to try to save energy . We get some advantages from this diffusion of focus : We manage our stress subconsciously , stay more creative through free discussion , and don ' t need to surveil things surrounding us thanks to these systems .
However there are risks involved with our focus in autopilot : In emergency situations , for instance , when we get unexpected messages or prime questions during a meeting , our brain should spotlight our attention instantly ; however , we don ' t know where to let it light up . So the brain simply fashes the brightest light on the most defnite and obvious stimulus .
Of course , it may be not the best choice .
As a result of this cognitive error , the pilots of Flight 447 could not make good choices and the fight sank into the ocean even though the accident could have been prevented if they focused their attention light onto a proper spot and took the proper steps . This is called cognitive tunneling .
Then , how can you focus on your work and avoid information blindness ? One of the ways is making and imagining the mind model . In the case of a nurse , she can imagine the best condition of her patients before she begins work so that she can be focused on taking the adequate steps needed for them .
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