Where Are My Keys?

Bonnie hears this refrain from me about 5 times a week.  But I think she is not alone.  A study from the University of Waterloo, reported in Psychology Today (June 2012) found that when we're rushing, we often see what we're looking for, pick it up, and then toss it aside without realizing it.  According to the researchers, "Our perceptual attention cannot work as quickly as our hands do." 

The researchers suggest three ways to force your perceptual and motor systems to get in sync so that you can improve your performance when tracking something down:

Think out loud. "Try naming everything you're looking through — even just in your head — before rejecting it.

Trust your gut.  In the study, participants naturally slowed down when they selected the sought-after item — right before putting it aside.  They seem to have had unconscious recognition that they missed the target.  "So if you just know your checkbook is in your desk, it's probably worth taking a second peek.

Use all your senses.  Pay attention to smells and textures, and sounds to help tease objects apart.  Don't rely only on your eyes. "Hearing the jingle of keys or feeling the cold exterior of a smartphone can be just the jolt you need to realize what you are looking at."

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