Stephanie's ears perked up when she overheard her name from across the room. she had been in the middle of a conversation, but she still took note. how would filter theory explain this?

The meaning of filter here can be considered as the chooser of pertinent information based on basic features, such as pitch, color, or direction of stimuli. To explain what is in the question, stimuli that educe emotions or offer significant information willingly capture our responsiveness, which is what occurred in this circumstance when Stephanie heard her name.