EXPRESS: The role of perceptual and cognitive load on inattentional blindness: a systematic review and three meta-analyses

The inattentional blindness phenomenon refers to situations where a visible but unexpected stimulus remains consciously unnoticed by observers. This phenomenon is classically explained as the consequence of insufficient attention, because attentional resources are already engaged elsewhere or vary between individuals. However, this attentional-resources view is broad and often imprecise regarding the variety of attentional models, the different pools of resources that can be involved in attentional tasks and the heterogeneity of the experimental paradigms. Our aim was to investigate whether a classic theoretical model of attention, namely the Load Theory, could account for a large range of empirical findings in this field by distinguishing the role of perceptual and cognitive resources in attentional selection and attentional capture by irrelevant stimuli. Since this model has been mostly built on implicit measures of distractor interference, it is unclear whether its predictions also hold when explicit and subjective awareness of an unexpected stimulus is concerned. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses of inattentional blindness studies investigating the role of perceptual and/or cognitive resources. The results reveal that, in line with the perceptual account of the Load Theory, inattentional blindness significantly increases with the perceptual load of the task. However, the cognitive account of this theory is not clearly supported by the empirical findings analyzed here. Furthermore, the interaction between perceptual and cognitive load on inattentional blindness remains understudied. Theoretical implications for the Load Theory are discussed, notably regarding the difference between attentional capture and subjective awareness paradigms, and further research directions are provided.

Don’t blink: inattentional blindness in radiology report interpretation

Objectives: Medical errors attributable to inattentional blindness (IAB) may contribute to adverse patient outcomes. IAB has not been studied in the context of reviewing written radiological reports. This cross-sectional, deception-controlled study measures IAB of physicians towards an unexpected stimulus while interpreting written radiological reports. Methods: Physicians and residents from multiple fields were asked to interpret four radiology text reports. Embedded in one was an unexpected stimulus (either an abnormally placed medical exam finding or a non-medical quote from the popular television show Doctor Who). Primary outcomes were differences in detection rates for the two stimuli. Secondary outcomes were differences in detection rates based on level of training and specialty. Results: The unexpected stimulus was detected by 47.8% (n = 43) of participants; the non-medical stimulus was detected more often than the medical stimulus (75.0% vs 21.7%, OR 10.8, 95% CI 4.1–28.7; p < 0.0001,). No differences in outcomes were observed between training levels or specialties. Conclusion: Only a minority of physicians successfully detected an unexpected stimulus while interpreting written radiological reports. They were more likely to detect an abnormal non-medical stimulus than a medical stimulus. Findings were independent of the level of training or field of medical practice. Advances in knowledge: This study is the first to show that IAB is indeed present among internal medicine, family medicine, and emergency medicine providers when interpreting written radiology reports.

IEyeGASE: An Intelligent Eye Gaze-Based Assessment System for Deeper Insights into Learner Performance

In the current education environment, learning takes place outside the physical classroom, and tutors need to determine whether learners are absorbing the content delivered to them. Online assessment has become a viable option for tutors to establish the achievement of course learning outcomes by learners. It provides real-time progress and immediate results; however, it has challenges in quantifying learner aspects like wavering behavior, confidence level, knowledge acquired, quickness in completing the task, task engagement, inattentional blindness to critical information, etc. An intelligent eye gaze-based assessment system called IEyeGASE is developed to measure insights into these behavioral aspects of learners. The system can be integrated into the existing online assessment system and help tutors re-calibrate learning goals and provide necessary corrective actions.