Did you see the unicycling clown? Inattentional blindness while walking and talking on a cell phone
Hyman and colleagues compared people walking while talking on a cell phone with people listening to an MP3 player, walking with no electronics, and walking in pairs. In the first study cell phone users walked more slowly, changed direction more often and were less likely to acknowledge other people. In the second study they were less likely to notice an unusual sight along the route, a unicycling clown. The authors suggest that cell phone use may cause inattentional blindness even during simple activities that need few cognitive resources.
Hyman and colleagues compared people walking while talking on a cell phone with people listening to an MP3 player, walking with no electronics, and walking in pairs. In the first study cell phone users walked more slowly, changed direction more often and were less likely to acknowledge other people. In the second study they were less likely to notice an unusual sight along the route, a unicycling clown. The authors suggest that cell phone use may cause inattentional blindness even during simple activities that need few cognitive resources.
Written from the abstract, Crossref, 2026-10-31.
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Hyman, I. E., Jr., Boss, S. M., Wise, B. M., McKenzie, K. E., & Caggiano, J. M. (2010). Did you see the unicycling clown? Inattentional blindness while walking and talking on a cell phone. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 24(5), 597-607. doi:10.1002/acp.1638.