Final answer:
The brain stops attending to constant, unchanging information through a process called habituation, which is part of learning and enables cognitive efficiency by filtering out repetitive stimuli to avoid sensory overload.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process by which the brain stops attending to constant unchanging information is called habituation. This is a form of learning where the brain reduces its response to stimuli that are neither harmful nor beneficial, and that do not change over time. The famous study by Simons and Chabris illustrates a related concept called inattentional blindness, where individuals failed to notice a person in a gorilla suit during an attention-demanding task. The ability of the brain to filter out repetitive, unremarkable stimuli is crucial for cognitive efficiency, preventing sensory overload and allowing us to focus on novel information that might be more important.
When engaged in highly focused activities, our attention is drawn so thoroughly to our task that we might miss other stimuli, which is a result of our brains' preference for mental shortcuts or heuristics. Synaptic plasticity plays a role in how new information is integrated into our brain, demonstrating our brain's remarkable ability to remodel itself based on experience. Additionally, hormones, sensory information, and cognitive processing contribute to the state of the brain and the focusing of cognition, which is essential for attention and learning.