You may hear someone say your name from across a noisy room, but not hear the person in front of you. Why?
A The brain is not so good at identifying sounds that are coming from above or below.
B The brain can block out sounds to pay attention to those that are most important.
C The ear picks up only noises pointed in a certain direction.
D The ear picks up only noises of a specific frequency.
You may hear someone say your name from across a noisy room, but not hear the person in front of you. Why?
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The correct answer is B: The brain can block out sounds to pay attention to those that are most important.
This phenomenon is known as selective attention. In a noisy environment, our brain prioritizes certain sounds (like hearing your name) over others, allowing us to focus on what we deem important while ignoring background noise.