# A simple, but eye opening test (Focus of attention and ease of missing big stuff) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 9, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510 "2010-06-09T05:19:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/1 "2010-06-09T05:19:10Z")
I must share this. Normally I wouldn’t post something like this, but I think you’ll understand. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Ahg6qcgoay4/hqdefault.jpg "Test Your Awareness: Do The Test") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4) It’s safe for work. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/2 "2010-06-09T05:51:26Z")
I was all like “wooooo! I got it right!” 😃 And then I was all like :smack: That bear is a _terrible_ moonwalker, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/3 "2010-06-09T05:58:58Z")
I saw the bear, but I thought it was a person dressed as Death. I thought, “Hey, that person dressed as Death is weird. Oh no! Did I miss someone making a pass?” ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/4 "2010-06-09T06:23:58Z")
This has been done so often people automatically look of the gorilla/bear/Rosie O’Donnell sauntering through the crowd. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/5 "2010-06-09T06:48:53Z")
I missed the bear AND I got the number of passes wrong! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/6 "2010-06-09T12:28:30Z")
Someone is going to have to come up with a better test, this is very old. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/7 "2010-06-09T13:24:01Z")
I completely failed the test. I didn’t notice the bear and also failed to count correctly the number of passes ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/8 "2010-06-09T15:13:32Z")
I’ve seen the gorilla version of this test and I totally knew I should be looking for such a thing and I _still_ failed! ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/9 "2010-06-09T15:18:00Z")
I didn’t even think of that guy. I’m not sure what sticking some random guy I can’t hardly see proves. Of course, to me he looked like a random member of the “dark clothing team”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/10 "2010-06-09T17:48:39Z")
I like [this one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItvZ7vZHjgI&NR=1). ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/11 "2010-06-09T18:17:24Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > I didn’t even think of that guy. I’m not sure what sticking some random guy I can’t hardly see proves. Of course, to me he looked like a random member of the “dark clothing team”. Then this thing went completely over your head. The whole point of the PSA is to “look out for cyclists” (did you miss that part, too?) because they are “random guys you can’t hardly see”. You missed the whole point, and missed it badly. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/12 "2010-06-09T19:14:47Z")
I read this thread before watching, as well as the video comments, so I totally \*knew \*that there would be a moon walking bear… _and I still missed it!_ :eek: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/13 "2010-06-09T21:48:57Z")
I accidentally counted the extra pass before the clip started, but I saw the bear. Didn’t notice it moonwalk though, just when it turned to face the camera. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/14 "2010-06-09T21:56:32Z")
[This one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubNF9QNEQLA&NR=1) got me. I knew to be watching for the bear in the first one. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/15 "2010-06-09T22:05:45Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > Then this thing went completely over your head. The whole point of the PSA is to “look out for cyclists” (did you miss that part, too?) because they are “random guys you can’t hardly see”. You missed the whole point, and missed it badly. I kind of doubt that not seeing cyclists on the road is much like concentrating on some YouTube video. I suppose being aware of cyclists is a good thing. All this video tests is your awareness of dancing bears. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/16 "2010-06-09T22:36:28Z")
If they asked for the number of passes the team in _black_ made, everybody would see the bear. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/17 "2010-06-09T23:19:32Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > If they asked for the number of passes the team in _black_ made, everybody would see the bear. That’s kind of the point, isn’t it? We’re all watching the white team (cars) and not looking for the black team (cyclists). ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/18 "2010-06-09T23:19:42Z")
I liked the version of the test to alert us to how unable we are to concentrate on two things at once, like the cell phone and driving (the one with the big guy in a rabbit suit that you completely miss while trying to pay attention to the phone conversation while counting t-shirts). I find this kind of test really irritating; not because they’re wrong, but because I get irritated when I’m trying to do two things at once and not doing either well. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/19 "2010-06-09T23:52:07Z")
I nearly hit a bicyclist trying to watch this video while I was driving, AND I missed the bear! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510/20 "2010-06-10T00:14:30Z")
I already knew about this, so I couldn’t help seeing the bear. I was surprised he wasn’t a gorilla. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-but-eye-opening-test-focus-of-attention-and-ease-of-missing-big-stuff/542510.md?page=2)