Selective Attention and User Experience

Selective Attention is the “looking but not seeing” that occurs when someone is focused on performing a specific task. This concept in psychology can often explain why users in testing situations fail to see certain interface elements, even if those elements are in plain sight. Concepts such as human visual perception not being as reliable as we may believe and the effect that personal expectations and motivations play in how we perceive things can help explain the role selective attention plays in both user testing and behavioral research.