P.S.A: Target Fixation and You

Hello there. Today I would like to talk to you about a phenomenon known as "target fixation." The definition of target fixation is this: "Target fixation is an attentional phenomenon observed in humans in which an individual becomes so focused on an observed object that their awareness of hazards or obstacles diminishes."

"But what does that mean?" I hear you ask. Well, basically, target fixation is when someone becomes so focused on an object or possibly a goal, and becomes so fixated on that object or achieving that goal that they become more unaware of hazards or dangers around them. We have all probably seen a player who has this problem in a game. An over aggressive player who seemingly ignores all dangers to go ahead on an objective, whether it be taking a tower, killing one of the boss monsters, or attacking an enemy player, we've all seen it.

"But how do we solve it?" I hear you ask again. Here is the answer: you cannot. The problem with this occurrence is that once it happens, it is either too late to stop it or the person with target fixation is too far focused to notice your frantic distress signals. So, the best course of action is preventative action. Attempt to stop someone from become a victim of target fixation before they are too far gone. If you see someone seemingly acting like they may attempt a move that you deem as extremely dangerous, but they do not seem to notice, attempt to talk them out of it beforehand. Use pings, chat, and if you know/are talking to the player, warn them over voice chat. Not to say that when someone is suffering from a severe stage of target fixation, that they cannot be saved from it before it is too late. Generally, these high pressure situations are too quick to type much out, so save some time by using pings. If need be, frantically. All you can do is hope that the person snaps out of it before it is too late.

But success is not always an option. If you do fail, and they die, don't ridicule them for it. Just try to help them, and tell them to try and assess the situation before rushing to meet it head on. How they respond can determine your next course of action.

I hope this has been helpful to you all. Have a good time out there on the Rift.