Simulated loss of foveal vision eliminates visual search advantage in repeated displays

Abstract

In the contextual cueing paradigm, incidental visual learning of repeated distractor configurations leads to faster search times in repeated compared to new displays. This contextual cueing is closely linked to the visual exploration of the search arrays as indicated by fewer fixations and more efficient scan paths in repeated search arrays. Here, we examined contextual cueing under impaired visual exploration induced by a simulated central scotoma that causes the participant to rely on extrafoveal vision. We let normal-sighted participants search for the target either under unimpaired viewing conditions or with a gaze-contingent central scotoma masking the currently fixated area. Under unimpaired viewing conditions, participants revealed shorter search times and more efficient exploration of the display for repeated compared to novel search arrays and thus exhibited contextual cueing. When visual search was impaired by the central scotoma, search facilitation for repeated displays was eliminated. These results indicate that a loss of foveal sight, as it is commonly observed in maculopathies, e.g., may lead to deficits in high-level visual functions well beyond the immediate consequences of a scotoma.

Contextual cueing impairment in patients with age-related macular degeneration

“…Facilitation for repeated displays in contextual cueing is expressed by lower scan pattern ratios in repeated compared to novel search arrays. To our knowledge, search facilitation for repeated displays in eye movements have only been reported for younger observers (Brockmole & Henderson, 2006;Geringswald et al, 2012;Manginelli & Pollmann, 2009;Peterson & Kramer, 2001;Tseng & Li, 2004). We expected similar effects of contextual cueing in our older controls as well.…”

“…In the control group, we expected search time reduction in repeated displays, as it has been observed in healthy elderly observers (Howard, Howard, Dennis, Yankovich, & Vaidya, 2004). Furthermore, we expected this search facilitation in repeated displays to go along with a reduced number of fixations and more efficient scan paths in familiar search contexts, a pattern that has repeatedly been reported in younger observers (Brockmole & Henderson, 2006;Geringswald et al, 2012;Manginelli & Pollmann, 2009;Peterson & Kramer, 2001;Tseng & Li, 2004), but would be first demonstrated in elderly observers here. Because the severity of visual impairment in AMD often differs between both eyes, patients were tested with monocular and binocular vision.…”

“…In contextual cueing, visual search is faster in repeated compared to random distractor arrangements. In this way, incidental learning of invariant spatial locations facilitates attentional guidance to the target position, as is evident in faster search times (e.g., Chun & Jiang, 1998), fewer fixations, and more direct scanpaths (Brockmole & Henderson, 2006;Geringswald, Baumgartner, & Pollmann, 2012;Manginelli & Pollmann, 2009;Peterson & Kramer, 2001;Tseng & Li, 2004).…”

Contextual cueing under working memory load: Selective interference of visuospatial load with expression of learning

“…It was found that repeated configurations were learned even when they were not attended to (e.g., black items in the search for a white target). However, when the colors were reversed after an initial learning phase, contextual cueing was only observed when the repeated items had been attended to (e.g., repeated items in white when searching for a white target; see also Geringswald, Baumgartner, & Pollmann, 2012, for the dependence of contextual cueing on foveal attention). This distinction-between the dependence of context learning and expression of learning on attention-might also be of importance for the role of working memory in contextual cueing.…”

A behavioral task for the validation of a gaze-contingent simulated scotoma

“…In gaze-contingent paradigms, the gaze location is monitored with an eyetracker and is then used to manipulate the visual information the observer is currently looking at. In one variant of such gaze-contingent paradigms, the moving mask technique (Rayner & Bertera, 1979), foveal information is degraded in order to investigate scene and object perception (Henderson, McClure, Pierce, & Schrock, 1997;Larson & Loschky, 2009;van Diepen, Ruelens, & d'Ydewalle, 1999), eye movement patterns in visual search (Bertera, 1988;Bertera & Rayner, 2000;Cornelissen, Bruin, & Kooijman, 2005) and reading (Fine & Rubin, 1999;Scherlen, Bernard, Calabrese, & Castet, 2008), and highlevel cognitive functioning such as visual context learning (Geringswald, Baumgartner, & Pollmann, 2012) when the observer is faced with a central scotoma.…”