Satisfaction of Search Error

        In medical diagnosis, doctors worry about committing a "satisfaction of search error" when they discover one pathology that seems to be causing the symptoms because the mind tends to shut down its vigilance and capacity to try alternatives when a likely solution to a problem has been found.  Typical situations in which satisfaction of search errors occur include finding one cancerous tumor but missing others nearby, and detecting a pathology that is unstable and capable of changing its degree of severity.  Another typical instance occurs when radiologists' attentions are drawn to a film on which certain areas are highlighted for their attention, and they do not pay as close attention to the unmarked areas of the film.  Students typically experience satisfaction of search errors most obviously when doing research to support their writing and settle for the easiest, fastest source they can find that appears to answer their search questions.  This often leads to "Internet blindness," a term I just coined to describe the inability to look things up anywhere other than online, preferably with the most familiar and easiest to use search engine (also see "Google-eyes" and "Yahoopathy").