Geocaching Blindness

[+Calypso62]

I'm looking for an article I thought I read on these forums about "geocaching blindness". When you are out geocaching, this is where you get a mind set of what you think the cache you are looking for is and your mind simply does not see any other possibilities. The article I saw also showed a video of a group of people playing basketball and a gorilla walks across the screen. I can't even remember what the phenomenon is actually called. I've searched the forums but can't seem to locate what I'm looking for. (Perhaps I'm suffering from this blindness!!) I may have read it in the Geocaching Blog but can't locate it there either.

 

If anybody knows what I'm talking about here and can point me in the right direction, I would very much appreciate it.

[+Hartx2]

I'm looking for an article I thought I read on these forums about "geocaching blindness". When you are out geocaching, this is where you get a mind set of what you think the cache you are looking for is and your mind simply does not see any other possibilities. The article I saw also showed a video of a group of people playing basketball and a gorilla walks across the screen. I can't even remember what the phenomenon is actually called. I've searched the forums but can't seem to locate what I'm looking for. (Perhaps I'm suffering from this blindness!!) I may have read it in the Geocaching Blog but can't locate it there either.

 

If anybody knows what I'm talking about here and can point me in the right direction, I would very much appreciate it.

 

Selective attention test video on youtube. Sorry, don't know how to find the article.

[+MKFmly]

Look up Inattentional Blindness

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inattentional_blindness

 

And maybe this was the article...

 

http://blog.geocaching.com/2013/04/behind-the-scenes-of-the-podcacher-podcast/

[+Understandblue]

It's called inattentional blindness

 

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/But-Did-You-See-the-Gorilla-The-Problem-With-Inattentional-Blindness-165589646.html

[+Understandblue]

Jinx

[+The_Incredibles_]

I've experienced this also, like when I think I'm looking for a small, but it's actually a micro. Interesting bit of psychology.

[Alvater]

This happened to me today. I had intepreted the hint a bit wrong and other mistakes added... A very sensitive area, I was worried that I'd destroy something if I guess wrong and I did it twice. I found it when I decided to 'look into that obvious hole I missed before because some muggles were sitting nearby and though it only fits half of the hint'. It was there.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I've experienced this also, like when I think I'm looking for a small, but it's actually a micro. Interesting bit of psychology.

 

Yeah. Cache listed as 'small'. Looked in all the likely spots for a small container. It turned out to be an MKH. Very different viewpoint when searching. That's just nasty.

[+Calypso62]

MKFmly's reference to Podcacher got me thinking it might have been there that I saw the reference to "Inattentional Blindness". I did a search and found the references in Show 409.0. Have a listen, it's very interesting, and we've all been there! It starts 4 minutes, 50 seconds into the show.

 

http://www.podcacher.com/2013/02/show-409-0-dave-ulmer-reminisces/

 

Here are the links to the other websites that contains information about the phenomenon. Very interesting!!!!

 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/02/11/171409656/why-even-radiologists-can-miss-a-gorilla-hiding-in-plain-sight

 

http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/videos.html

 

[+CanadianRockies]

I've experienced this also, like when I think I'm looking for a small, but it's actually a micro. Interesting bit of psychology.

Not as interesting as cachers who claim they are more likely to miss a "small" cache when they are told they should be looking for a "micro" rather than the other way around.

[7rxc]

I've done that 3 times in the last two weeks... always EASY find on the 2nd try or third sometimes.

It affects everyone to some degree and for various situations. My last one, I went back to find a flashlight I dropped after checking out some dark holes... focused on finding the flashlight and saw the 'missing' cache from 15 feet away while looking, right in a spot I had checked out using that flashlight and never saw it. Never did find the flashlight, but next time I'm going to look for a hammer or something.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+niraD]

Some of the hardest caches I've found have been simple hides, hidden near "obvious" locations, but not actually hidden in/on those "obvious" locations. The sooner you stop searching the bench, or the guardrail, or the hollow stump, the sooner you'll find the fake rock a few feet away.

[+AutisticMajor]

Similar to this, I follow the directions on my GPSr and ignore all else. It has lead me through some pretty hairy places to get caches! Usually I find out there was an easy way in only after I have made the find.

[+Hysham Pirate]

I like to just go to the coordinates and look around for a little while before reading the description or hint. After about 10 minutes I decided I should read up. A FREAKIN' AMMO CAN?!? No way! I would have noticed something that big oh there it is.