About this episode

Rich Brown interviews cognitive scientist Dr. Paul Atchley about the science of attention and why people often miss critical information.

What if one of the greatest threats to your safety isn't a lack of awareness—but the false belief that you're paying attention? In this episode of the American Warrior Show, Rich Brown sits down with cognitive scientist Dr. Paul Atchley to explore the science of attention, perception, and human performance. For decades, Dr. Atchley has studied how people process information, how distraction impacts performance, and why our brains often fail to detect important details even when they appear to be in plain sight. His work has influenced conversations surrounding driving safety, human attention, decision-making, and risk assessment. Dr. Atchley has been conducting research and teaching about cognitive factors related to hazard perception and inattention for over 30 years. He is currently on faculty at the University of South Florida. Dr. Atchley received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside in 1996 and completed postdoctoral training at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois in 1998. Dr. Atchley has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and chapters on issues of vision and attention. He has also received awards for his research, teaching, service…

People in this episode

Host: Rich Brown

Guest: Dr. Paul Atchley

Topics covered

• cognitive science
• attention
• perception
• human performance
• situational awareness
• distraction
• risk assessment

Keywords

• attention
• perception
• cognitive science
• situational awareness
• distraction
• human performance
• risk assessment
• driving safety
• decision-making

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of South Florida, University of California, Riverside, Beckman Institute, BBC, NPR, New York Times

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