cocktail party effect

is the phenomenon of being able to focus one's auditory attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out other stimuli, much the same way that a partygoer can focus on a single conversation in a noisy room.

The cocktail party effect is the phenomenon of being able to focus one's auditory attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli, much the same way that a partygoer can focus on a single conversation in a noisy room. This effect is what allows most people to 'tune into' a single voice and 'tune out' all others. (wikipedia)

cocktail party effect, n.Definitions

cocktail party effect