scholarly journals Seeing Beyond Salience and Guidance: The Role of Bias and Decision in Visual Search

Vision ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Alasdair D. F. Clarke ◽  
Anna Nowakowska ◽  
Amelia R. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Eye Movements ◽  
Signal Detection ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Search Performance ◽  
Guided Search ◽  
Vision Science ◽  
Search Tasks ◽  
Field Of Vision

Visual search is a popular tool for studying a range of questions about perception and attention, thanks to the ease with which the basic paradigm can be controlled and manipulated. While often thought of as a sub-field of vision science, search tasks are significantly more complex than most other perceptual tasks, with strategy and decision playing an essential, but neglected, role. In this review, we briefly describe some of the important theoretical advances about perception and attention that have been gained from studying visual search within the signal detection and guided search frameworks. Under most circumstances, search also involves executing a series of eye movements. We argue that understanding the contribution of biases, routines and strategies to visual search performance over multiple fixations will lead to new insights about these decision-related processes and how they interact with perception and attention. We also highlight the neglected potential for variability, both within and between searchers, to contribute to our understanding of visual search. The exciting challenge will be to account for variations in search performance caused by these numerous factors and their interactions. We conclude the review with some recommendations for ways future research can tackle these challenges to move the field forward.

scholarly journals Seeing beyond salience and guidance: the role of bias and decision in visual search

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alasdair D F Clarke ◽  
Anna Nowakowska ◽  
Amelia R. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Search Performance ◽  
Complete Understanding ◽  
Vision Science ◽  
Search Tasks ◽  
Field Of Vision

Visual search is a popular tool for studying a range of questions about perception and attention, thanks to ease with which the basic paradigm can be controlled and manipulated. While often thought of as a sub-field of vision science, search tasks are significantly more complex than most other perceptual tasks, with strategy and decision playing an essential, but neglected, role. In this review, we briefly describe some of the important theoretical advances about perception and attention that have been gained from studying visual search. We argue that understanding the contribution of biases, routines, and strategies to visual search performance will lead to new insights about these decision-related processes and how they interact with perception and attention. A complete understanding of visual search can only be achieved through a holistic, as opposed to compartmentalized, understanding of these numerous contributions to search performance. We also highlight the neglected potential for variability, both within and between searchers, to contribute to our understanding of visual search.

Distractor Ratio Influences Patterns of Eye Movements during Visual Search

Perception ◽  
10.1068/p2933 ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiye Shen ◽  
Eyal M Reingold ◽  
Marc Pomplun
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Eye Movements ◽  
Search Task ◽  
Search Model ◽  
Search Performance ◽  
Manual Response ◽  
Guided Search ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Conjunctive Search

We examined the flexibility of guidance in a conjunctive search task by manipulating the ratios between different types of distractors. Participants were asked to decide whether a target was present or absent among distractors sharing either colour or shape. Results indicated a strong effect of distractor ratio on search performance. Shorter latency to move, faster manual response, and fewer fixations per trial were observed at extreme distractor ratios. The distribution of saccadic endpoints also varied flexibly as a function of distractor ratio. When there were very few same-colour distractors, the saccadic selectivity was biased towards the colour dimension. In contrast, when most of the distractors shared colour with the target, the saccadic selectivity was biased towards the shape dimension. Results are discussed within the framework of the guided search model.

What do eye movements reveal about the role of memory in visual search?

2007 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 924-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Geyer ◽  
Adrian Von Mühlenen ◽  
Hermann J. Müller
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Eye Movements ◽  
Fixation Duration ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Dynamic Condition ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Static Condition ◽  
Guided Search ◽  
Active Memory

Horowitz and Wolfe (1998, 2003) have challenged the view that serial visual search involves memory processes that keep track of already inspected locations. The present study used a search paradigm similar to Horowitz and Wolfe's (1998), comparing a standard static search condition with a dynamic condition in which display elements changed locations randomly every 111 ms. In addition to measuring search reaction times, observers’ eye movements were recorded. For target-present trials, the search rates were near-identical in the two search conditions, replicating Horowitz and Wolfe's findings. However, the number of fixations and saccade amplitude were larger in the static than in the dynamic condition, whereas fixation duration and the latency of the first saccade were longer in the dynamic condition. These results indicate that an active, memory-guided search strategy was adopted in the static condition, and a passive “sit-and-wait” strategy in the dynamic condition.

scholarly journals Stable individual differences in strategies within, but not between, visual search tasks

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alasdair D F Clarke ◽  
Jessica Irons ◽  
Warren James ◽  
Andrew B. Leber ◽  
Amelia R. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Visual Search ◽  
Search Task ◽  
The Other ◽  
Search Performance ◽  
Search Tasks ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
Over Time

A striking range of individual differences has recently been reported in three different visual search tasks. These differences in performance can be attributed to strategy, that is, the efficiency with which participants control their search to complete the task quickly and accurately. Here we ask if an individual's strategy and performance in one search task is correlated with how they perform in the other two. We tested 64 observers in the three tasks mentioned above over two sessions. Even though the test-retest reliability of the tasks is high, an observer's performance and strategy in one task did not reliably predict their behaviour in the other two. These results suggest search strategies are stable over time, but context-specific. To understand visual search we therefore need to account not only for differences between individuals, but also how individuals interact with the search task and context. These context-specific but stable individual differences in strategy can account for a substantial proportion of variability in search performance.

Auditory Spatial Cueing in Visual Search Tasks: Effects of Amplitude, Contrast and Duration

1995 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Z. Strybel ◽  
Jan M. Boucher ◽  
Greg E. Fujawa ◽  
Craig S. Volp
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Visual Field ◽  
Peripheral Visual Field ◽  
Search Performance ◽  
Spatial Cues ◽  
Spatial Cueing ◽  
Search Tasks ◽  
Auditory Spatial Cues

The effectiveness of auditory spatial cues in visual search performance was examined in three experiments. Auditory spatial cues are more effective than abrupt visual onsets when the target appears in the peripheral visual field or when the contrast of the target is degraded. The duration of the auditory spatial cue did not affect search performance.

scholarly journals Anchoring visual search in scenes: Assessing the role of anchor objects on eye movements during visual search

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sage E. P. Boettcher ◽  
Dejan Draschkow ◽  
Eric Dienhart ◽  
Melissa L.-H. Võ
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Eye Movements

Complexity-Based Analysis of the Relation Between Fractal Visual Stimuli and Fractal Eye Movements

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (03) ◽  
pp. 1950012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hedieh Alipour ◽  
Farzad Towhidkhah ◽  
Sajad Jafari ◽  
Avinash Menon ◽  
Hamidreza Namazi
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Fractal Structure ◽  
Visual Target ◽  
Fractal Theory ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Vision Science ◽  
Human Eye ◽  
Field Of Vision ◽  
External Stimuli

Human eye movement is a key concept in the field of vision science. It has already been established that human eye movement responds to external stimuli. Hence, investigating the reaction of the human eye movement to various types of external stimuli is important in this field. There have been many researches on human eye movement that were previously done, but this is the first study to show a relation between the complex structure of human eye movement and the complex structure of static visual stimulus. Fractal theory was implemented and we showed that the fractal dynamics of the human eye movement is related to the fractal structure of visual target as stimulus. The outcome of this research provides new platforms to scientists to further investigate on the relation between eye movement and other applied stimuli.

Examining Predictors of Visual Search Success in Transportation Security Officers and Behavior Detection Officers

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 1308-1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall D. Spain ◽  
Jerry W. Hedge ◽  
Jennifer K. Blanchard
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Spatial Ability ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Practical Implication ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Search Performance ◽  
Behavior Detection ◽  
Transportation Security ◽  
Security Officers ◽  
And Behavior

Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) and Behavior Detection Officers (BDOs) are an integral part of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) multilayered security program. Both officers are required to visually search their environments for prohibited items and cues that might be indicative of a threat. The purpose of this project was to identify factors that predicted the visual search success of these officers. A simulated visual search task was completed by 375 TSOs and BDOs, along with a battery of surveys designed to measure individual differences in personality traits, abilities, hobbies, and spatial ability. Results showed that TSOs and BDOs were highly accurate in their searches but that TSOs searched images faster than BDOs without sacrificing accuracy. Additional results showed that the strongest predictors of visual search accuracy were search speed and search consistency, but spatial ability emerged as a significant predictor for TSOs and frequency of video-game play emerged as a significant predictor for BDOs. Additional traits were also correlated with search performance but did not emerge as significant predictors in our regression models. Practical implication and directions for future research are discussed.

Curved Versus Flat Monitors: Interactive Effects of Display Curvature Radius and Display Size on Visual Search Performance and Visual Fatigue

2020 ◽  
pp. 001872082092271
Author(s):  
Gyouhyung Kyung ◽  
Sungryul Park
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Display Size ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Curvature Radius ◽  
Viewing Distance ◽  
Search Performance ◽  
Visual Fatigue ◽  
Visual Display Terminal ◽  
Search Tasks ◽  
Curved Displays

Objective The aim of this study is to examine the interactive effects of display curvature radius and display size on visual search accuracy, visual search speed, and visual fatigue. Background Although the advantages of curved displays have been reported, little is known about the interactive effects of display curvature radius and size. Method Twenty-seven individuals performed visual search tasks at a viewing distance of 50 cm using eight configurations involving four display curvature radii (400R, 600R, 1200R, and flat) and two display sizes (33″ and 50″). To simulate curved screens, five flat display panels were horizontally arranged with their centers concentrically repositioned following each display curvature radius. Results For accuracy, speed, and fatigue, 33″–600R and 50″–600R provided the best or comparable-to-best results, whereas 50″–flat provided the worst results. For accuracy and fatigue, 33″–flat was the second worst. The changes in the horizontal field of view and viewing angle due to display curvature as well as the association between effective display curvature radii and empirical horopter (loci of perceived equidistance) can explain these results. Conclusion The interactive effects of display curvature radius and size were evident for visual search performance and fatigue. Beneficial effects of curved displays were maintained across 33″ and 50″, whereas increasing flat display size from 33″ to 50″ was detrimental. Application For visual search tasks at a viewing distance of 50 cm, 33″–600R and 50″ 600R displays are recommended, as opposed to 33″ and 50″ flat displays. Wide flat displays must be carefully considered for visual display terminal tasks.

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