Air conditioner Quote by Sandra K. Ciccarelli
““The brain is only interested in changes in information. That's why people don't really hear the noise of the air conditioner unless it suddenly cuts off or the noise made in some classrooms unless it gets very quiet. Although they actually are hearing it, they aren't paying attention to it. This is called habituation, and it is the way the brain deals with unchanging information from the environment.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Cognitive Psychology, Sandra K. Ciccarelli, 2020
The brain filters out constant stimuli, focusing on changes, a process called habituation.
In simple terms: The brain ignores steady sounds, noticing only changes.
Key Takeaway
Pay attention to subtle shifts in your environment.
Themes
attention
perception
habituation
neuroscience
Mood
alertious
reflective
Type
educational
psychological
When to use this quote
- classroom learning
- office work
- urban living
- medical monitoring
Key Concepts
sensory adaptation
attention mechanisms
neural efficiency
Questions to Reflect On
- How might you design alerts to overcome habituation?
- When have you missed a change because it seemed normal?
A Different Perspective
Habituation can cause missed warnings if change is too gradual.
