The Cocktail Party Effect
April 30, 2009 by Foy
Filed under Articles, The Male Mind
Visited 2765 times, 1 so far today
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Flashback To Eight Grade!
You’re sitting in the cafeteria, engaged in a heated discussion about boys with all your girlfriends [In case you didn't know, this example doesn't apply to MInTheGap or I - though we both were surrounded by all our girlfriends at lunch, right M? ;) ]. So there you were, concentrating on the girl to your left, when you hear your name! You look up – someone said your name! You’re positive! But no one is looking at you…so they weren’t trying to get your attention….Hmm…. they must have just said your name in conversation. Who was it you wonder…
Now, Back to the Future…er…current day.
Psychiatrists have noticed this weird phenomena - not only the ability to pick your name out of a hundred conversations, but also key sounds, like a siren, or other words, such as “FIRE!” – as well. But they didn’t notice it in cafeterias, they noticed it at cocktail parties. So they named it “The Cocktail Party Effect” (very original, huh?).
So, you’re thinking now: “What is the significance of this weird Cocktail thingy?” Well, it proved to psychologists one cool thing: Our brains process more things then our conscious mind knows. See, when you were in the cafeteria, you were focused on your girlfriend’s conversation. That was the only thing your conscious mind knew at the time. But, your brain was processing all the information going on around you – all the conversations that were happening, filtering them for important information. You just didn’t know it was happening.
So once your brain picked out your name from the mental sieve, it sent an alert to your conscious mind: “HEY! You’re name is being called!” You then felt the need to look around you for the name caller.
Pretty cool, huh? But what the heck does this have to do with modesty?
Well, the male mind works in a similar way – not with hearing, but with sight. A guy can pick out an immodestly dressed female from a long distance away, without even knowing it. It’s the Cocktail Effect, but with vision. Our mind isn’t processing or looking for immodesty (well, some minds aren’t…), but the unconscious sinful self is doing it all the time.
What’s really scary is that we’re good at it. Very good. If they made a new version of “Where’s Waldo?” and named it “Where’s Wendy?” (Or even “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? “), dressing her in an immodest outfit…well, lets just say that guys wouldn’t need to look in the back for the answer.
Now, when the mind does find something, it sends an alert to the consious mind: “Hot Girl at 10:00!!!”. Our eyes unconsciously zip in that direction, and then God kicks in. He says “You really shouldn’t be doing that”. We persist: “But…but…” He persists, and because he has a sense of humor ( I know he does), he adds a pun: “No Butts”.
Then we have a moment of thinking. Should we keep our eyes away? Or should we follow God’s will? It sounds oh so easy, but I’m sure MInTheGap will agree with me when I say that its one of the hardest things to do.
Very, very, very hard.
And so the battle continues…never to end.
FL
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Thank you very much. I appreciate these posts. It reminds me why I do dress modestly, and that it DOES make a difference.
Hannah L.s last blog post..An Amazing Giveaway
Great post! Thanks.
Really good job! I enjoy your website so much!
well said. Liked that.
Hi, found your blog through weaves of modest fashion blogs. Glad to know there are others who are aware of fashion! Check out mine at clothedmuch.blogspot.com Thanks!
Good post. It is interesting to (really) learn more about how guys actually think. It also makes me stand more firmly in my convictions, knowing that being modest DOES make a difference.
*groans and laughs at the pun*
I agree with this. I’m actually learning about this sort of thing in my psychology class, so it’s cool to see it in one of my favorite websites! :)
*your name is being called
Maybe you should proof-read before blaming women for dressing how they want?
I think that the suppression of natural behaviour can only create an artificial barrier between the sexes. I am a 23 year old male and have many female friends. I would certainly not expect them to have to spend constant consideration attempting to appear modest for my benefit.
To respect each other in society we should stop reducing each other to the physical and stop using the devil to justify our less honourable actions. I am no more uncomfortable in the presence of a naked female friend than a male one, either way it is impolite to look.
As a result of relaxing the ‘sex’ barrier between me and my female friends I have become far closer to them and I can relate to them far better. In fact the general removal of the men vs female distinction can only be a good thing. I am not in any way suggesting any of the ridiculous thought which I presume will enter the readers head.
Context is everything and nakedness is not in any way sexual by itself, only when it is used to indicate availability in cultures or to be forbidden in some way does it gain such power.
One final tip, relax guys. You are in control of your actions thoughts and lives, don’t restrict too much of your lives based on a groundless fear. I admire many aspects of ‘pure’ Christian living but I could never convert myself as it throughs away the baby with the bath water.
This website is a sham, I just wrote a nice, well thought out and detailed comment and it has been blocked as I have apparently already said it. I guess only certain comments are allowed.
The comment policy on this site is that every time a first time commenter comments, that comment is moderated. Subsequent comments from the same person are automatically posted. This is an attempt to block against spam, and is automatic.
I’ve always thought the Cocktail Effect is interesting. Now if our brains would just recall the rest of the conversation when something like that happens…. :)
It is good to be reminded that guys brains do that visually.
#Feb2011NCARating
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