Simons & Chabris · 1999
The Invisible Gorilla
A gorilla walks through the screen and half the people miss it! Shows how easily our brains are fooled.
Methodology
Setup:
• 75sec video: White team (3) + Black team (3) passing ball
• Task: "Count passes by White team"
The Trick:
• At 44s, student in gorilla suit walks through
• Beats chest, stays for 9 seconds
Questions:
1. Pass count?
2. See anything unusual?
3. See the gorilla?
Findings
Shocking Stats:
• Missed Gorilla: 46%
• Half of people failed to see a gorilla in plain sight
Details:
• "Transparent Gorilla" version: More missed it
Reaction:
• "No way!" "You switched the video!"
• 100% see it on second viewing
Significance
Real Life:
• "Looked but didn't see" car accidents
• Radiologists missing tumors (83% of cases in one study)
• Danger of walking while texting
Impact:
• Ig Nobel Prize 2004
• TED Talk millions of views
• Lesson: We see only what we attend to