Target Distance from the Visual Field and Increased Age Affect Visual Search Efficiency: Behavioral and Modeling Evidence

Abstract

Recent findings suggest that conjunction visual search can be explained through the serial processing of features. However, the roles of several critical factors, including target location in the visual field and age, have yet to be explored. Given their significance in visual search, we aim to investigate their impact on search time and accuracy in a conjunction visual search task. Participants engaged in target-present and target-absent trials, revealing distinct patterns in search times. In target-present trials, efficient processing was evident with faster search times, while target-absent trials demonstrated longer search times, indicating heightened cognitive load. Participants exhibited prolonged search times in target-absent trials, correlating with set size, while accuracy remained consistent. Conversely, target-present trials showed decreasing accuracy with larger set sizes, indicating increased cognitive load. The study further explores the impact of target distance from the central visual field on conjunction visual processing, revealing increased search times with greater distances and set sizes, emphasizing the intricate interplay between spatial factors and set size in target localization. Age-related dynamics were observed, with increasing age correlating with elevated search times in target-absent trials, suggesting challenges in declaring non-existence. However, accuracy in declaring absence improved with age, demonstrating nuanced interactions with set size. This comprehensive examination contributes to understanding cognitive mechanisms in visual processing.