Low target prevalence is a stubborn source of errors in visual search tasks.

Wolfe, Jeremy M.; Horowitz, Todd S.; Wert, Michael J. Van; Kenner, Naomi M.; Place, Skyler S.; Kibbi, Nour

doi:10.1037/0096-3445.136.4.623

Cited by 344 publications

(611 citation statements)

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“…So far, the visual search and categorisation literature are rarely brought together (cf. Smith et al, 2005;Wolfe et al, 2007) because categorisation often requires identifying targets presented in isolation, whereas visual search requires discriminating targets from simultaneously presented distractors. Presumably, if training variability improved the visual differentiation of targets within cluttered bags, a possibility is that the benefit of training variability would disappear in the absence of cluttered images.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity during training enhances detection of novel stimuli

González

Madhavan

2011

Journal of Cognitive Psychology

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This research demonstrates that when individuals are expected to detect novel targets, they will be best prepared when trained with diverse categories. Participants were trained in a simulated luggage screening task, in one of three conditions of diversity: high (participants searched for dangerous objects belonging to five different categories); low (participants searched for targets belonging to one of the five categories); and no training (control condition). After training, all participants were asked to look for the same novel dangerous objects in the bags. Results show that, during training, the low diversity condition resulted in highest hit rates and fastest response times. In contrast, after training, results were reversed: participants that trained in a high diversity condition were most effective at detecting novel targets. Those with no training at all were equally poor at detecting novel targets as those that trained in a low diversity condition.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity during training enhances detection of novel stimuli

González

Madhavan

2011

Journal of Cognitive Psychology

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“…Recent research has responded by increasing the diversity of stimuli and expanding the variety of contexts in which cognition is studied. For example, depicted eyes and human limbs have replaced symbolic arrows in studies of attentional orienting (Nummenmaa & Calder, 2009); photos and video clips have replaced line drawings in studies of face and scene perception (Henderson, 2005;Palermo & Rhodes, 2007); and airport security and mammography xrays have replaced geometric shapes in studies of visual search (Wolfe, Horowitz, Van Wert, Kenner, & Kibbi, 2007;Wolfe & Van Wert, 2010). Although we see these trends as increasing the naturalism of cognitive research at the level of inputs and settings, we note that there has been less progress made in the measurement of the mind's output, as expressed in behavior.…”

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confidence: 99%

Person perception informs understanding of cognition during visual search

Brennan

Watson

Kingstone

et al. 2011

Atten Percept Psychophys

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Does person perception-the impressions we form from watching others-hold clues to the mental states of people engaged in cognitive tasks? We investigated this with a two-phase method: In Phase 1, participants searched on a computer screen (Experiment 1) or in an office (Experiment 2); in Phase 2, other participants rated the searchers' video-recorded behavior. The results showed that blind raters are sensitive to individual differences in search proficiency and search strategy, as well as to environmental factors affecting search difficulty. Also, different behaviors were linked to search success in each setting: Eye movement frequency predicted successful search on a computer screen; head movement frequency predicted search success in an office. In both settings, an active search strategy and positive emotional expressions were linked to search success. These data indicate that person perception informs cognition beyond the scope of performance measures, offering the potential for new measurements of cognition that are both rich and unobtrusive.Keywords Visual search . Eye movements and visual attention . Attention "You can observe a lot by just watching." -Widely attributed to Yogi Berra A typical experiment in cognitive psychology involves the presentation of a stimulus in a controlled laboratory setting, systematic variation of the conditions under which the stimulus is presented, and measurement of the participant's response with a combination of keypresses, brief vocal responses, eye movements, and limb actions. Cognitive researchers almost never look directly at participants while they perform in an experiment, leaving it an open question whether they are missing key features of visible behavior that are relevant to the mental processes under investigation. The purpose of the present study is to ask whether researchers can enhance their understanding of cognition by adding measures of person perception to their standard toolbox of performance measurements.Our motivation is both practical and theoretical. On the practical side, most personal computers today come equipped with a built-in webcam aimed directly at the user. We can think of no reason why this resource should lie dormant without consideration of its research potential. Theoretically, many studies in social psychology over the past decade have demonstrated the surprising reliability and validity of thin-slicing, referring to the ability of persons to make rapid evaluations of the personality, disposition, and intent of others from very small samples of their behavior (Ambady, Bernieri, & Richeson, 2000;Ambady, Hallahan, & Rosenthal, 1995;Borkenau & Liebler, 1995;Borkenau, Mauer, Riemann, Spinath, & Angleitner, 2004;Carney, Colvin, & Hall, 2007;Gladwell, 2007;Naumann, Vazire, Rentfrow, & Gosling, 2009;Rule, Macrae, & Ambady, 2009;Weisbuch & Ambady, 2011). Why should cognitive researchers not also consider this potential signal?A second theoretical motivation comes from the growing interest in emotional, social, and motivational influence...

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“…Chen, Meier, Blair, Watson, & Wood, 2013). One further possibility stands out: the role of expectations regarding the likelihood of threat being present Godwin, Menneer, Cave, Helman, et al, 2010;Van Wert, Horowitz, & Wolfe, 2009;Wolfe & Van Wert, 2010;Wolfe et al, 2007;Wolfe, Horowitz, & Kenner, 2005). Previous studies examining the prevalence effect in visual search have found that, when targets are presented on a high proportion of trials (>50% of trials), then participants show a tendency to spend longer times searching, as well as a tendency to report that they believe targets to be present.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of experience upon information-sampling and decision-making behaviour during risk assessment in military personnel

et al. 2015

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We examined the influence of experience upon information-sampling and decisionmaking behaviour in a group of military personnel as they conducted risk assessments of scenes photographed from patrol routes during the recent conflict in Afghanistan. Their risk assessment was based on an evaluation of Potential Risk Indicators during examination of each scene. We found that both participant groups were equally likely to fixate Potential Risk Indicators, demonstrating similarity in the selectivity of their information-sampling. However, the inexperienced participants made more revisits to Potential Risk Indicators, had longer response times, and were more likely to decide that the scenes contained a high level of risk. Together, these results suggest that experience primarily modulates decision-making behaviour. We discuss potential routes to train personnel to conduct risk assessments in a more similar manner to experienced participants.Acknowledgements:

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Low target prevalence is a stubborn source of errors in visual search tasks.

Cited by 344 publications

References 45 publications

Diversity during training enhances detection of novel stimuli

Diversity during training enhances detection of novel stimuli

Person perception informs understanding of cognition during visual search

The influence of experience upon information-sampling and decision-making behaviour during risk assessment in military personnel

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