Why We Ignore The Obvious The Psychology Of Willful Blindness?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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There is a well documented phenomenon in Cognitive Psychology known as “ Change blindness “. It occurs when large changes in an on screen picture go undetected by the observer when they occur at the same time as a brief visual disruption such as a blink of the eye or a brief disruption on the screen.

Why do people not see the obvious?

There is a well documented phenomenon in Cognitive Psychology known as “ Change blindness “. It occurs when large changes in an on screen picture go undetected by the observer when they occur at the same time as a brief visual disruption such as a blink of the eye or a brief disruption on the screen.

Why do we ignore reality?

In the psychology of human behavior, denialism is a person’s choice to deny reality as a way to avoid a psychologically uncomfortable truth. Denialism is an essentially irrational action that withholds the validation of a historical experience or event, when a person refuses to accept an empirically verifiable reality.

How can we prevent willful blindness?

SUMMARY ON WILLFUL BLINDNESS

Technology is never going to take the place of human interaction. To prevent Willful Blindness, start with a default assumption we are blind . We don’t want to see the stuff that’s most dangerous. Create conditions in your organization were it’s safe to see.

Is willful blindness a crime?

Willful blindness or Wilful blindness (sometimes called ignorance of law, willful ignorance or contrived ignorance or intentional ignorance or Nelsonian knowledge) is a term used in law to describe a situation in which a person seeks to avoid civil or criminal liability for a wrongful act by intentionally keeping ...

Why can’t you see what’s right in front of you?

The answer: People who fail to see something right in front of them while they are focusing on something else have lower “working memory capacity” – a measure of “attentional control,” or the ability to focus attention when and where needed, and on more than one thing at a time.

Why do I miss obvious things?

Our attention is simply elsewhere. We miss the obvious because we are not paying attention to it . ... Our attention is to focused on the device, so things that would be otherwise very obvious on the road escape our attention.

What do you call someone who ignores facts?

Ignorance is a lack of knowledge and information. ... The word “ ignorant ” is an adjective that describes a person in the state of being unaware, or even cognitive dissonance and other cognitive relation, and can describe individuals who are unaware of important information or facts.

Why are beliefs so hard to change?

1) Beliefs are not always based on facts, and still, they are the hardest thing to change in a person . The thought- that become our belief- is repeated so often, it creates a specific “groove,” or pathway, in the brain. ... To call ourselves truly “free” – we need to be able to change the thinking patterns.

Why is it hard to change people’s minds?

Why is it harder to change your mind and behavior in the short-term? Cognitive biases often get in the way of assessing new beliefs . Upending one of your beliefs due to new evidence might overturn other beliefs. ... Learning about biases will help you reduce your hesitancy to new information.

What are examples of willful blindness?

  • Her evidence was inconsistent with text messages located on her phone;
  • She knew it was not illegal to bring $4,000 into the country, yet she told the customs officials she was not carrying cash;

What is willful blindness?

Willful blindness, also known as conscious avoidance, is a judicially-made doctrine that expands the definition of knowledge to include closing one’s eyes to the high probability a fact exists . ... The use of the willful blindness doctrine in criminal prosecutions is deeply troubling.

What causes willful ignorance?

Sometimes this is due to innocent memory failures or to the lack of needed information. ... Willful ignorance occurs when individuals realize at some level of consciousness that their beliefs are probably false , or when they refuse to attend to information that would establish their falsity.

What is the difference between recklessness and wilful blindness?

Recklessness assumes a knowledge of a likelihood of a prohibited consequences. ... In contrast to recklessness, wilful blindness requires that the accused become aware of a need for inquiry and deliberately declines to do so .

What’s another word for willful ignorance?

Synonyms: negligent , derelict, lax, neglectful, remiss, slack These adjectives mean guilty of a lack of due care or concern: The negligent landlord failed to repair the window.

What is willful blindness in money laundering?

Willful blindness is a concept well-known in anti-money laundering circles. People have been successfully prosecuted for involvement in money laundering activity in cases where the courts found that looking the other way despite signs money came from an illicit source is equivalent to knowing the money is dirty .

Carlos Perez
Author
Carlos Perez
Carlos Perez is an education expert and teacher with over 20 years of experience working with youth. He holds a degree in education and has taught in both public and private schools, as well as in community-based organizations. Carlos is passionate about empowering young people and helping them reach their full potential through education and mentorship.