What is a Search Image and Selective Attention?

What is a Search Image?

When we have a picture in our head of what we are looking for, it helps us to find the object or being  faster. If the dog has pooped but we don’t know where, we can find it faster (to pick it up) if we can picture in our mind what it looks like. People who develop “an eye” for seeing certain things, like in bird watching, are holding a search image in their head. If we know what a specific dog behavior looks like and can hold that image in our head of our dog doing that behavior, we are more likely to see it when we are actively observing. Try it!

Pick a behavior your does occasionally and then observe your dog for a day to count how many times he does it. Your search image for that behavior will help you see it. You may also start to see it more often than you thought your dog did once you actually start watching for it. 

Of course, search images can work against us too. If we have the wrong search image of a behavior or we hold only that one search image in our heads, we may not see other behaviors. In this latter case, we call it "Selective Attention" Think of when we are looking for a box of food in the cupboard. If the box color or shape has been changed, we usually overlook it, even though it is there! So if you are looking for one behavior your dog does, you might not see another equally important but different behavior. In this case, we just want to use more general active observation so we can notice other behaviors that might be important too.

Observation Skill test: It helps if you know what you are looking for before you observe it. Try this test without knowing first. Next, try reading the first question and go back and watch the video for the answer. Look for the next answers one at a time. Focussing on one thing at a time, then two, and three etc will help build your skills and memory too!

http://www.calculatorslive.com/Observation-Skills-Test.aspx

Observation skills video: 

Example of knowing what you are looking for. (and also being open to what you are not)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo&

Here’s a different version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2887tKwpB0c

Here's a dog Dog Training example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R-sTbJpp1c&NR=1

Another to try

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7Ec6tTwkqg& (3 in the series)

 It’s easy to miss what you aren’t looking for! Can you see 21 Changes?

http://www.flixxy.com/observation.htm

Have fun with these!