The change probability effect is a term coined by Beck et al. (2004) and it suggests that changes that are expected or \"probable\" are detected more easily than changes that are unexpected or \"improbable\". This research study investigates the change probability effect and the differences between observers who are looking for changes and those who are unaware that changes may exist. The results suggest that observers who are not expecting a change to occur are more likely to detect an improbable change than a probable change. The findings from this study have real world applications and also have implications for change blindness research studies.
","abstract_html":"<p>The change probability effect is a term coined by Beck et al. (2004) and it suggests that changes that are expected or "probable" are detected more easily than changes that are unexpected or "improbable". This research study investigates the change probability effect and the differences between observers who are looking for changes and those who are unaware that changes may exist. The results suggest that observers who are not expecting a change to occur are more likely to detect an improbable change than a probable change. The findings from this study have real world applications and also have implications for change blindness research studies.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Brown, Robert A."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Human Factors & Systems","degree_level":"Thesis - Open Access","degree_discipline":"Human Factors and Systems","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-10-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-10-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:25:45Z","subjects":["change detection","observers","Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.erau.edu/edt/30","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Brown, Robert A."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Human Factors and Systems"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - Open Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Human Factors & Systems"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["change detection","observers","Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.erau.edu/edt/30"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The change probability effect is a term coined by Beck et al. (2004) and it suggests that changes that are expected or \"probable\" are detected more easily than changes that are unexpected or \"improbable\". This research study investigates the change probability effect and the differences between observers who are looking for changes and those who are unaware that changes may exist. The results suggest that observers who are not expecting a change to occur are more likely to detect an improbable change than a probable change. The findings from this study have real world applications and also have implications for change blindness research studies.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Effects of Observers’ Expectations and the Probability of a Change Occurring on Change Detection Performance"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Brown, Robert A."],"dc:description.abstract":["The change probability effect is a term coined by Beck et al. (2004) and it suggests that changes that are expected or \"probable\" are detected more easily than changes that are unexpected or \"improbable\". This research study investigates the change probability effect and the differences between observers who are looking for changes and those who are unaware that changes may exist. The results suggest that observers who are not expecting a change to occur are more likely to detect an improbable change than a probable change. The findings from this study have real world applications and also have implications for change blindness research studies.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.erau.edu/edt/30"],"dc:subject":["change detection","observers","Experimental Analysis of Behavior","Psychology"],"dc:title":["The Effects of Observers’ Expectations and the Probability of a Change Occurring on Change Detection Performance"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Human Factors and Systems"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - Open Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Human Factors & Systems"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:25:45Z"}