Imagine yourself in a dark classroom reading PowerPoint slides. If an audience member were to check the internet using her cell phone and causing her screen to light up, chances are that many people would notice the change in illumination in the classroom. However, if the same thing happened in a brightly lit classroom during a discussion, very few people would notice. The cell phone brightness does not change, but its ability to be detected as a change in illumination varies dramatically between the two contexts. This is an example of the principle of transduction 12

The scenario you described highlights the concept of "contextual perception," which refers to how the environment influences our sensory experience. In a dark classroom, your eyes are adjusted to low light levels, making even a small change, like a cell phone screen lighting up, stand out. In contrast, in a brightly lit room, the high ambient light makes subtle changes less detectable, demonstrating how our brains interpret sensory information differently based on context. Understanding how context affects perception has practical applications in fields like education and design. For instance, teachers can enhance focus in presentations by managing classroom lighting, while marketers might utilize ambient light levels in stores to influence consumer behavior. This knowledge can help create more effective learning and shopping experiences!