Focused attention in the perception and retrieval of multidimensional stimuli

Abstract

This paper reports some further experiments on successive matching of multidimensional stimuli in which the correct conjunctions of features must be specified; it also modifies and extends the model proposed earlier by Treisman, Sykes, and Gelade (1977). The results obtained in the previous experiment were replicated despite a change from fixed to varied targets, and from spatial to temporal separation of the targets, thus extending their generality. The modified conjunction-matching model proposes that the subject progressively narrows his focus of attention, first to deal with a single display stimulus at a time and finally, if necessary, to a single target. The model was tested quantitatively by simulating the separate stages hypothesized to underlie conjunction-matching in some simpler, single-attribute-matching conditions, and using the differences between latencies in these conditions to predict differences between latencies in the appropriate conjunction-matching conditions. The results were consistent with the general hypothesis that one important role of focused attention and serial processing is to integrate separable attributes or features into the correct conjunctions, which correspond to the objects actually presented or stored.Most of the objects, people, and scenes we perceive produce complex, multidimensional, changing patterns of stimulation on the retina. At least some of their attributes appear to be registered by independent neural channels, specializing in different aspects, such as orientation, color, spatial frequency, brightness. Analysis of complex stimuli into more elementary features may be logically necessary in order to allow generalization across instances of the many categories we form and, at the same time, discrimination between them. But this immediately raises the question of how the component properties are resynthesized into the correct compounds, so that we correctly see the shirt as blue and the trousers as gray, for example, rather than the reverse. Treisman, Sykes, and Gelade (1977) offered some preliminary suggestions and findings relating to this problem, in the context of visual search and visual matching. This paper reports some further investigations of the matching task, which extend the generality of the findings; it then attempts to develop and test the model we proposed earlier.There were two main areas of interest in the previous paper: (1) The first was the hypothesis that separable dimensions or features [i.e., those that are processed by independent analyzers (Garner, 1974)] are perceptually integrated into the correct compounds by means of focal attention and serial processing of information from different spatial locations. Features which are registered in the same location and temporal interval, i.e., within the same central focus of attention, can then be coded as belonging to the same object. This implies that parallel processing and divided attention to multiple inputs should be possible only when either of two conditions is met: (a) the inputs can be d...

Natural world physical, brain operational, and mind phenomenal space–time

“…The same is true not only for the visual patterns and/or objects but also for the auditory and any other sensorial features (or qualia) [351]. Importantly, it was experimentally found [352][353][354] that the phenomenal fields of different modalities (for example, visual and auditory) are spatially and temporally integrated, so that the different features belonging to the same object are realized in the same location and time (for temporal aspects, see the following Subsection). This ability allows us not only to see the shape of an object, we are also immediately aware of its position in relation to our own body and to other objects in the scene 48 .…”

Memória de trabalho viso-espacial em crianças de 7 a 12 anos

“…Mesmo considerando o pequeno número de estímulos a serem memorizados e comparados para se tomar uma decisão correta, a dificuldade pode residir na ausência de uma representação direta da associação (conjunção) das características das letras, das quais a cor faz parte, e não na perda de informação sobre as características individuais de cada estímulo (Walker et al, 1994). Em outras palavras, os resultados deste estudo revelam uma importante distinção entre memória para conjunções de características e memória para itens individuais na memória visual de curto prazo, um fato já constatado em estudos realizados com amostras de adultos (Stefurak & Boynton, 1986;Treisman, 1977). Kahneman e Treisman (1984) propuseram um modelo explicativo no qual um arquivo de objeto (object file, uma representação temporária de um objeto na memória de trabalho) manteria as conjunções de características relacionadas às suas coordenadas espaço-temporais.…”

Brain bases of the automaticity via visual search task

“…The first type of identification processes were thought to occur under parallel processing because only one feature had to be clarified. The second, when more than one feature has to be verified, were related to serial processing (Treisman, 1977). On the other hand, object identification was not possible without guided attention.…”

“…This process was defined as occurring pre-attentively or without the subject's active control of the attention. The fact that focal attention is held to process the different features of an object at the same spatial location and temporal interval made it possible to recompose the object's identity afterwards, with no possible confound between objects features (Treisman, 1977).…”

“…This process was defined as occurring pre-attentively or without the subject's active control of the attention. The fact that focal attention is held to process the different features of an object at the same spatial location and temporal interval made it possible to recompose the object's identity afterwards, with no possible confound between objects features (Treisman, 1977).There were some limitations in object identification. For example, the identification of a specific object could only occur under two conditions: when the objects varied in one feature (e.g., color or shape), or when the objects varied in more than one feature and no error in their description could occur (e.g., color, shape and orientation).…”