A Threshold Model of Visual Search

1988 ◽  
Vol 32 (19) ◽  
pp. 1316-1319
Author(s):  
Daniel Workman ◽  
Donald L. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Search Task ◽  
Visual Search Task ◽  
Threshold Model ◽  
Threshold Level ◽  
Additional Time ◽  
Similarity Threshold ◽  
Graphic Displays ◽  
Best Fit ◽  
Selection Of

A new model of visual search is proposed. It is suggested that in searching for a target among distractors, there is some threshold level of similarity between the target and the distractors. When the similarity of the target to a given distractor is below this threshold the distractor can be quickly rejected. When the distractor is above the threshold level of similarity it will take additional time to reject the distractor. Several models of visual search, including threshold and non-threshold models, are simulated on a computer and compared to the results obtained by Geiselman, Landee & Christen (1982) in a visual search task. A threshold search model in which the time to reject distractors over the similarity threshold is a function of the increment above the threshold (where similarity is defined as proposed in Workman & Fisher, 1987), is shown to provide the best fit to the data. Implications for the selection of symbols for graphic displays are briefly discussed.

When visual search target is rare: overweighting or under weighting the probability?

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 1520-1524
Author(s):  
Hanshu Zhang ◽  
Joseph W. Houpt
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Search Task ◽  
Visual Search Task ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Threshold Model ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Target Presence ◽  
Model Assumption ◽  
Search Tasks ◽  
Low Prevalence

The prevalence of items in visual search may have substantial performance consequences. In laboratory visual search tasks in which the target is rare, viewers are likely to miss the target. A dual-threshold model proposed by Wolfe and Van Wert (2010) assumes that in the low prevalence condition, viewers shift their criteria resulting in more miss errors. However, from the prospective of prospect theory (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979), decision makers tend to overweight small probability. To explore how viewers subjectively weight the probability in the low prevalence visual search task, we compared viewers’ criteria with the optimal criteria by presenting different probability descriptions for a fixed prevalence rate. The data from this experiment indicated that target presence had an effect on viewers’ accuracy and response times but not probability descriptions. Viewers’ criteria under different probability descriptions were higher than optimal. These results are in accordance with the dual-threshold model assumption that viewers respond “target absent” more frequently than optimal, leading to more miss errors in the low prevalence condition.

Toward the influence of temporal attention on the selection of targets in a visual search task: An ERP study

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (11) ◽  
pp. 1690-1701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina Rolke ◽  
Freya Festl ◽  
Verena C. Seibold
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Search Task ◽  
Visual Search Task ◽  
Temporal Attention ◽  
Selection Of

scholarly journals Suboptimal selection of initial saccade in a visual search task

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 444-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Morvan ◽  
L. Maloney
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Search Task ◽  
Visual Search Task ◽  
Initial Saccade ◽  
Selection Of
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