Cognitive tunneling is a psychological phenomenon where a person's attention narrows to a single point, ignoring all other information. This happens most often under high stress or during a sudden, unexpected event, causing a person's brain to transition from a relaxed state to a panicked, focused state that fixates on a narrow set of stimuli. This can lead to an inability to see the bigger picture, sometimes described as inattentional blindness, and is a common cause of errors in high-pressure situations, such as pilots or drivers missing crucial cues.
During the exam, I hit a tough question and fell into cognitive tunneling, completely missing the easier ones I had already skimmed over. Talk about stress messing with my focus!
by Emotional Cruiser November 4, 2025
Get the cognitive tunnelingmug.