pattern
Attention Finds a Signal
An exchange begins under uncertainty, urgency, or social consequence.
People need orientation before they can process complete information.
- People notice what stands out before they interpret it
- Tone, timing, and power register before content
- Social risk pushes attention toward possible consequence
What stands out first shapes what people notice next.
In practice, attention finds a signal in the first cue, and that cue often decides the channel everything else travels through.
