What is the cocktail party effect?

About this episode

Imagine you're at a noisy party. People are everywhere: overlapping conversations, clinking glasses, a constant buzz of sound. And yet, in the middle of all that noise, you suddenly hear your name being called. Instantly, your attention shifts to that one voice. This ability to pick out a specific sound among many others shows how our ears, and especially our brains, can isolate meaningful information in a sea of noise. Scientists call this phenomenon the cocktail party effect. How was this effect discovered? But how is that possible? And does this “superpower” have limits? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the latest episodes, click here: Why are young people in Berlin being paid to party? How does the Matthew Effect help us understand class inequalities? What is the placebo effect and how does it work? A Bababam Originals podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices