June 30, 2006

BUT I SWERVED TO AVOID THE GORILLA...:

After one drink, most study participants overlooked an ape onscreen (Warren King, 6/30/06, Seattle Times)

So you think you can drive just fine after only one stiff drink?

New research by the University of Washington may make you think again: Most of the study participants who had had only one cocktail didn't even notice a gorilla walking through the middle of a ballgame.

That's right. The UW researchers tested people while they focused intently on a single task — counting the number of basketball passes in a video. Most of them couldn't see much else, such as realize that the clip features a woman in an ape suit who suddenly walks to center screen, beats her chest and exits — a nine-second cameo.

They were twice as likely to miss it as nondrinkers.

"We were very surprised to see how strong the results were," said Seema Clifasefi, who led the research in the UW's Department of Psychology.


Ban driving. Keep drinking.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 30, 2006 9:18 AM
Comments

If you lived in or around the UW, in places like Fremont or Ballard or Queen Anne, of course you'd ignore the gorilla. What's so unusual about seeing one? It would be pretty normal considering what else you see in those neighborhoods.

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at June 30, 2006 9:44 AM

The participants in the study probably thought they were watching a Phoenix Suns game and didn't think the video was anything out of the ordinary.

Posted by: John at June 30, 2006 10:18 AM

!!!TRASH STUDY ALERT!!!

While stipulating to the fact that even one drink impairs ability, it bears pointing out that the ability to see Gorrilas in a test is a LOOONG way from the skills needed to get home after one drink.

Some where in America's backrooms, these small-minded totalitarians must sit around and make up absurd scenarios that "proves" that we all need to be regulated into submission.

Posted by: Bruno at June 30, 2006 10:43 AM

The stipulation conceded the entire point.

Posted by: oj at June 30, 2006 11:33 AM

"Let's do both!" --- The Pointy-Haired Boss

Posted by: Joseph Hertzlinger at June 30, 2006 11:56 AM

So one drink improves our ability to bring a laser like focus to the task at hand?

Posted by: David Cohen at June 30, 2006 12:17 PM

You sound like Eddie Griffin:

cbs4.com/topstories/topstories_story_180174619.html

Posted by: oj at June 30, 2006 12:22 PM

Since a lot of folks can't even see an "elephant in the room" of course folks aren't going to be able to see a gorilla on the road!

Posted by: Jayson at June 30, 2006 3:07 PM

See? I always KNEW NBA refs were drunks! Now there's PROOF!

Posted by: John Resnick at June 30, 2006 8:22 PM
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