Blinded by magic: eye-movements reveal the misdirection of attention

Abstract

Recent studies (e.g., Kuhn and Tatler, 2005) have suggested that magic tricks can provide a powerful and compelling domain for the study of attention and perception. In particular, many stage illusions involve attentional misdirection, guiding the observer's gaze to a salient object or event, while another critical action, such as sleight of hand, is taking place. Even if the critical action takes place in full view, people typically fail to see it due to inattentional blindness (IB). In an eye-tracking experiment, participants watched videos of a new magic trick, wherein a coin placed beneath a napkin disappears, reappearing under a different napkin. Appropriately deployed attention would allow participants to detect the "secret" event that underlies the illusion (a moving coin), as it happens in full view and is visible for approximately 550 ms. Nevertheless, we observed high rates of IB. Unlike prior research, eye-movements during the critical event showed different patterns for participants, depending upon whether they saw the moving coin. The results also showed that when participants watched several "practice" videos without any moving coin, they became far more likely to detect the coin in the critical trial. Taken together, the findings are consistent with perceptual load theory (Lavie and Tsal, 1994).

Keywords: attention; covert attention; eye-movements; eye-tracking; inattentional blindness; magic; perceptual load.

Figure 1

Schematic of the actions from an experimental trial where the coin moves from under the left napkin to the right napkin. (The contrast of the coin in the central frame has been manipulated to enhance the clarity of this graphic).

Figure 2

Fixation locations at midpoint of coin's movement on the experimental trial as a function of Preview and Inattentional Blindness. The overlay procedure used to create this graphic makes the coins invisible, as they were in subtly different positions at their temporal midpoint across the two experimental videos.

Figure 3

Fixation patterns during the critical period as a function of the direction of coin movement and inattentional blindness.

Figure 4

The proportion of each of the first five fixations falling in each ROI as a function of inattentional blindness.

Figure 5

Heatmap depicting the first five fixations following the critical period as a function of the direction of coin movement and inattentional blindness.