Can Cognitive Tunneling Explain the Princeton Experiment?

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 In a presentation about atomic habits, James Clwarr briefly recounts the Princeton Experiment.   

Theologians were asked to give sermon on the parable of The Good Samaritan. 

 In that parable, two pious men pass a suffering person while a Samaritan, a person belonging to a group held in low esteem, stops to help the sufferer. 

One of the group giving the sermon during that Princeton experiment was told that that they only have few minutes to give the sermon.  As each person went to five the sermon, an actor posing as a sick person lay on their path imploring for their help.

Each of them rushed past the actor to deliver the sermon.  In fact, one of them walked over the actor!

Each person tunneled into their goal and missed the big picture.  Their attention was focused on delivering but not living the teachings of the sermon.

I think the experiment shows a danger of incorrectly directed attention.  I also think this is a case of cognitive tunneling.

What do you think?


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