Entering an unfamiliar setting requires rapid cognitive organization of chaotic stimuli

Evidence

Coming into a setting with which one is unfamiliar is confusing. The individual is barraged by a sudden mass of visual and audial stimuli. If he is to take a position within the setting without creating a scene, he must avoid such errors as walking into walls, tripping over furniture, or opening broom-closet doors. And to avoid such errors, he must somehow organize the barrage of incoming stimuli into a fairly clear picture of the arrangement of the setting. — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 847

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Simmel’s blasé attitude and the cognitive processing demands of urban environments — both describe managing sensory overload in public settings.