The Psychology of Quality and More

C Style: Standards and Guidelines (contents)

CHAPTER 2 : Psychological Factors

PART 1 : BASICS

CHAPTER 2 : Psychological Factors

2.1 Pattern Recognition
2.2 Filtering
2.3 Habit
2.4 Redundancy
2.5 Cues and Context
2.6 Recognizing Basic features
2.7 Short Term, Working and Long Term memory
2.8 Chunking
2.9 The Rule of Seven
2.10 Context Switching
2.11 Modifying the image
2.12 Memorizing sounds
2.13 Eye focus
2.14 Eye movement
2.15 Looking ahead
2.16 Looking back
2.17 The subconscious is always right
2.18 Natural ambition
2.19 Summary

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2.2 Filtering

One use for pattern recognition is when you are searching for a specific pattern. When you are looking in the telephone directory for a local builder, you scan down the list of builder's addresses filtering out all those that are not in your town. What is of note is that you do not even read the addresses. You are looking for a pattern which matches the pattern of your town name. Anything that does not match the pattern is rejected. You do not think, "Johnstown. No, that's not it." You just flash past until you get a fit.

This principle can be used in programming, where related items can be given some pattern or position that makes them easier to filter out.

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