Title |
Barack Obama Blindness (BOB): Absence of Visual Awareness to a Single Object
|
---|---|
Published in |
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, March 2016
|
DOI | 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00118 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Marjan Persuh, Robert D. Melara |
Abstract |
In two experiments, we evaluated whether a perceiver's prior expectations could alone obliterate his or her awareness of a salient visual stimulus. To establish expectancy, observers first made a demanding visual discrimination on each of three baseline trials. Then, on a fourth, critical trial, a single, salient and highly visible object appeared in full view at the center of the visual field and in the absence of any competing visual input. Surprisingly, fully half of the participants were unaware of the solitary object in front of their eyes. Dramatically, observers were blind even when the only stimulus on display was the face of U.S. President Barack Obama. We term this novel, counterintuitive phenomenon, Barack Obama Blindness (BOB). Employing a method that rules out putative memory effects by probing awareness immediately after presentation of the critical stimulus, we demonstrate that the BOB effect is a true failure of conscious vision. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
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United Kingdom | 2 | 11% |
France | 1 | 6% |
Germany | 1 | 6% |
Japan | 1 | 6% |
Spain | 1 | 6% |
Turkey | 1 | 6% |
Unknown | 6 | 33% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 12 | 67% |
Scientists | 3 | 17% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 3 | 17% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Germany | 1 | 7% |
Unknown | 14 | 93% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Lecturer > Senior Lecturer | 2 | 13% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 2 | 13% |
Professor | 2 | 13% |
Other | 1 | 7% |
Lecturer | 1 | 7% |
Other | 2 | 13% |
Unknown | 5 | 33% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 5 | 33% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 2 | 13% |
Business, Management and Accounting | 1 | 7% |
Neuroscience | 1 | 7% |
Unknown | 6 | 40% |