Contextual Effects on General Learning, Feature Learning, and Attention Strengthening in Visual Search

1995 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 158-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy A. Rogers ◽  
Mark D. Lee ◽  
Arthur D. Fisk
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Process Development ◽  
Feature Learning ◽  
Automatic Process ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Contextual Cues ◽  
Context Manipulation ◽  
Scanning Strategies ◽  
Automatic Attention

Context has an important influence on performance in a variety of tasks. In the present experiment, the context of interest was the number of consecutive trials under identical search conditions. We were interested in how individuals learn to benefit from one form of contextual cues, the time course of such benefit, and the effects of contextual manipulations on general learning, feature learning, and automatic process development. We investigated these issues using a visual search task in which we could manipulate both consistency and learning context. The results suggest that the manipulation of context influenced feature learning; that is, at least 10 consecutive trials were required before optimal scanning strategies could be developed and/or instituted. However, the training context manipulation did not affect the acquisition of an automatic attention response in a consistent task or the acquisition of a general skill for a varied task. Implications for task and system design and the development of training programs are discussed.

Acquisition of skilled visual search performance following severe closed-head injury

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 615-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAUREEN SCHMITTER-EDGECOMBE ◽  
LEIGH BEGLINGER
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Process Development ◽  
Closed Head Injury ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Automatic Process ◽  
Search Performance ◽  
Specific Class ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Closed Head

This study used a semantic-category visual search task to investigate skill acquisition and automatic process development in a severe closed-head injured (CHI) population. Eighteen severe CHI participants (> 1 year post injury) and 18 matched controls completed over 3600 trials of training in both consistent mapping (CM) and varied mapping (VM) training situations. Transfer conditions were also used to test for development of an automatic attention response (AAR) that was independent of general, task-related learning. For both the severe CHI and control group, CM training, where individuals always responded in the same way to a specific class of stimuli, resulted in dramatic performance improvements and the development of an AAR. In the VM training condition, where individuals could not respond in the same way to a class of stimuli from one stimulus exposure to the next, there was little performance improvement and continued reliance on controlled processes. The visual search rates of the CHI participants also remained slower than those of controls following extended VM but not extended CM practice. These results indicate that skill acquisition training guidelines can be used to teach severe CHI patients to develop a new automatic skill. (JINS, 2001, 7, 615–630.)

The Interaction of Bottom-up and Top-down Consistency in the Development of Skills

1987 ◽  
Vol 31 (9) ◽  
pp. 1044-1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie A. Oransky ◽  
Paula R. Skedsvold ◽  
Arthur D. Fisk
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Process Development ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Stimulus Level ◽  
Automatic Process ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Global Consistency ◽  
Decision Group ◽  
The Individual

An experiment is reported that was conducted to examine the possible value of higher-order consistency in skill development. Subjects made judgments about ordinal properties of stimuli. The presence or absence of consistency was defined by the type of decision – consistent or varied decisions. In both decision conditions the stimuli were inconsistent at the individual stimulus level; however, subjects making consistent decisions concerning the stimuli could make use of consistent relationships among the stimuli. Subjects in the consistent decision were faster and more accurate at identifying target stimuli when compared with the inconsistent decision subjects. In addition to the quantitative differences, subjects receiving consistent decision training were qualitatively different in performance when compared to the inconsistent decision group. The pattern of results from the present experiment is quite consistent with previous memory/visual search investigations. The experiment supports the suggestion that local level (or stimulus based) consistency is not necessary for automatic process development if task relevant higher-order (or global) consistency can be identified and used by the trainees.

scholarly journals Temporal and peripheral extraction of contextual cues from scenes during visual search

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Koehler ◽  
Miguel P. Eckstein
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Contextual Cues

Converging Evidence That Neural Plasticity Underlies Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-157
Author(s):  
Chong Zhao ◽  
Geoffrey F. Woodman
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Visual Stream ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
The Brain

It is not definitely known how direct-current stimulation causes its long-lasting effects. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the long time course of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) is because of the electrical field increasing the plasticity of the brain tissue. If this is the case, then we should see tDCS effects when humans need to encode information into long-term memory, but not at other times. We tested this hypothesis by delivering tDCS to the ventral visual stream of human participants during different tasks (i.e., recognition memory vs. visual search) and at different times during a memory task. We found that tDCS improved memory encoding, and the neural correlates thereof, but not retrieval. We also found that tDCS did not change the efficiency of information processing during visual search for a certain target object, a task that does not require the formation of new connections in the brain but instead relies on attention and object recognition mechanisms. Thus, our findings support the hypothesis that direct-current stimulation modulates brain activity by changing the underlying plasticity of the tissue.

Drawn to Distraction: Anxiety Impairs Neural Suppression of Known Distractor Features in Visual Search

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Christine Salahub ◽  
Stephen M. Emrich
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Template Matching ◽  
Time Course ◽  
High Anxiety ◽  
Guided Search ◽  
Distractor Processing ◽  
Search And Destroy

Abstract When searching for a target, it is possible to suppress the features of a known distractor. This suppression may prevent distractor processing altogether or only after the distractor initially captures attention (i.e., search and destroy). However, suppression may be impaired in individuals with attentional control deficits, such as in high anxiety. In this study (n = 48), we used ERPs to examine the time course of attentional enhancement and suppression when participants were given pretrial information about target or distractor features. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found that individuals with higher levels of anxiety had lower neural measures of suppressing the template-matching distractor, instead showing enhanced processing. These findings indicate that individuals with anxiety are more likely to use a search-and-destroy mechanism of negative templates—highlighting the importance of attentional control abilities in distractor-guided search.

Distractor context manipulation in visual search: How expectations modulate proactive control

Cognition ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 196 ◽  
pp. 104129
Author(s):  
Marco A. Petilli ◽  
Francesco Marini ◽  
Roberta Daini
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Proactive Control ◽  
Context Manipulation

Aging and Retention of Newly Acquired Skill: Does Performance Predict Retention of Underlying Learning?

1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-114
Author(s):  
Peter J. Batsakes ◽  
Arthur D. Fisk
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Retention Interval ◽  
Process Development ◽  
Semantic Category ◽  
Automatic Process ◽  
Retention Performance ◽  
Transfer Session ◽  
Skilled Performance ◽  
Age Related

In this study, we evaluated age-related decay characteristics of the learning supporting skilled performance. We directly assessed the retention of performance and learning associated with skilled visual search. Ninety older (63 to 79 yrs.) and 90 younger (19 to 25 yrs.) adults received 6300 trials of consistent semantic category search. A transfer session assessed automatic process development. After either 2, 4, or 8 weeks participants returned for retention testing. At retention we evaluated trained performance, learning associated with strength of attention training (AARs), and optimal feature search. For young adults, the AAR declined but remained strong even after eight weeks of disuse. Older adults exhibited minimal automatic activation strength before and (not surprising) after the retention interval. However, when retention performance not supported by AARs was examined (learning due to the development of optimal search) age-related effects were minimized. Contrary to other learning domains, older adults' retention performance was less affected than young adults' by the interfering processing activity performed prior to the retention interval. Issues of instructional and system design are discussed as mechanisms to promote age-dependent retention of skilled performance.

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