In recent years, there have been a number of cases where police officers have shot innocent, unarmed citizens. For example, not long ago, an officer of the LAPD shot a thirteen-year-old boy who was driving a car; the officer later stated that he thought the boy was driving the car toward him as a weapon (and he also stated that he did not register certain major facts of the situation that would have convinced him otherwise). While the officer's behavior is in no way excusable, does his account line up with what we know about how stress affects behavior?
A) No, it doesn't; stress actually improves people's ability to take in and process information.
B) No, it doesn't; stress does not have any net impact (either positive or negative) on people's ability to take in or process information.
C) Yes, it does; research shows that extreme stress can narrow attention and focus so much that people completely fail to register important and relevant pieces of information.
D) Yes, it does; research shows that extreme stress can broaden attention and focus so much that people end up "taking it all in" but not being able to register the most important, relevant pieces of information.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Research has shown that extreme stress can narrow attention and focus, which can cause people to miss important and relevant pieces of information. In the case mentioned, the officer's stress may have caused him to focus solely on the threat he perceived from the car and not register other key details that would have informed his decision-making.

In Recent Years, There Have Been a Number of Cases