Here's How to Save Time and Find Your Keys
Are you one of those people who is constantly searching for your keys or phone in the morning? We’ve all been late to work because we just can’t remember where our keys are. If you suffer from chronic key-loss, don’t worry, results from a new study provide some hope.
According to this study from Washington University in St. Louis, recent interactions with your environment can help guide where you look.
“We can’t fully process everything in a scene, so we have to pick and choose the parts of the scene we want to process more fully,” says Richard Abrams, the lead professor of this study.
Abrams explains that our brains are subject to attention bias, especially when it comes to color. For example, if our keys are on a red keychain, and we had a red apple for breakfast, we could find our keys easier than if we had had a yellow banana. This is called the priming effect. The priming effect doesn’t just work with colors, it can work with words, too. The study uses the example of writing the word “keys” on a light switch you use every day to help you remember where your keys are—even if they aren’t near the light switch.
If you want to strengthen this bias, research suggests performing an action while being primed with an image or word.
“Things we act on are, by definition, ‘important’ because we’ve chosen to make an action,” Abrams says.
In Abrams’ study, he had participants perform what seemed like unrelated tasks such as looking at words on the computer and then playing arrow games. Surprisingly, subjects could locate an arrow faster when it appeared on the prime-matching picture they saw in the first task than when it was on a random image.
“In order for us to behave efficiently in the world, we have to make good choices about which of the many objects in a scene we are going to be processing,” says Abrams.
Sure, it takes some mindfulness but, isn’t it worth it? Forgetfulness, while not a big negative quality, can be costly in the workplace. It can lead to lateness and lack of motivation. Take a few minutes out of your day to note where you need priming and figure out what you can do to find those keys, not forget that lunch box, and have a successful, organized work day every day.
Savannah Patton
Savannah Patton is the ICF Communications Assistant and a freelance writer for Kentucky Sports Radio. She graduated in May 2016 from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's degree in Integrated Strategic Communications with a focus in Public Relations.
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