Who Do We Notice? Principles of Selective Attention

"Several theorists have suggested that a relationship is born at the exact moment when one person first becomes aware of another person (e.g., Levinger & Snoek, 1972). However, ..., a true relationship requires mutual influence; thus, it is probably more accurate to locate a relationship’s beginning in the moment in which two people first become consciously aware of each other. Because the human brain has limited conscious/attentional capacities, we cannot possibly be fully aware of all of the information our senses take in, and all the people we come in contact with, at any given moment (see Nørretranders, 1998). Consequently, some people are more likely than others to capture our attention."

Close Relationships - Pamela Regan