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Cognitive Psychology
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JoVE Science Education Cognitive Psychology
Visual Search for Features and Conjunctions
  • 00:00Overview
  • 00:40Stimulus Design
  • 02:13Conducting the Study
  • 03:04Analysis and Results
  • 04:12Applications
  • 05:05Summary

機能や接続詞の視覚探索

English

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Overview

ソース: ジョナサン ・ Flombaum 講座-ジョンズ ・ ホプキンス大学

どのように、人々 は雑然としたビジュアル シーンのオブジェクトを見つけるのですか。たとえばの乱雑な机の上のキーを探して、食料品店で探している熟した果実を検索、ときにそれを駐車した場所を覚えていないことが非常にあなたの車を検索または、空港出口ゲートで古くからの友人を見つけると思います。明らかに、視知覚の理解は、すべての答えに役割を果たすつもりです、具体的には、視覚的注意の理解が重要になります。

視覚的注意とは、イメージの一部に焦点を合わせる能力、勢ぞろいの 1 つのかどうかを探した事あるし選択的にリソースを処理-標準的な実験的用語で、ターゲット-が存在。検索と注意を研究、実験心理学者は (当然) 視覚探索として知られる広く使われているパラダイムを開発しました。

心理学者の動機づけの検索の良い理論がなぜいくつかのものが簡単に見つかるし、他の人が見つけるは難しいを説明しなければならないという直感で研究の大きな取引も。だから視覚探索パラダイムにおいては、知覚心理学者が簡単検索より困難なものとは対照的に焦点を当てた多くの場合。最も影響力のあるコントラスト機能検索と組み合わせて検索研究者と呼ぶものの間です。

Procedure

1. 刺激デザイン 実験には、試験の 2 種類が含まれています。試験の半分の-機能検索試験-参加者は青色のものの間で赤いバーを検索する求められます。だから 40 の展示、各では、赤いバーをランダムに配置、3、6、9、12 の青いバーのいずれかをランダムに配置のセットをレンダリングします。青いバーの数は、ディス トラクター ロードです。各負荷試験 (この場合は 10) の等しい数…

Results

Note that response times in feature search trials are relatively unaffected by distractor load (Figure 3). In contrast, conjunction search response times increase linearly. In fact, the slope of that function describes the amount of extra search time it takes, on average, for each additional distractor in the scene. In this case, it looks like about 50 ms per item. Similarly, both searches take about 200 ms with only three distractors present. This suggests that a uniform amount of time is necessary to get a search going and make a response.

The difference between feature and conjunction search suggests how one of the challenges faced by the human visual system involves putting different kinds of information together. Finding a red bar amongst all blue ones is easy—it pops out—because only one kind of information is relevant: color. But finding something that is defined by multiple different kinds of features—in this case, orientation and color—needs focused attention to help bind those features together.

Figure 3
Figure 3: Response times as a function of distractor load in target present trials. Feature search and conjunction search conditions are shown in green circles and yellow triangles, respectively.

Applications and Summary

In the real world, understanding how visual search works has many important applications. For example, major research programs are currently applying an understanding of visual search in the laboratory to understand and improve how doctors search for certain telltale signatures when they look at an x-ray or MRI scan. Similar research programs look at how TSA personnel search through scans of passenger baggage at the airport, and even how athletes locate their teammates on a field.

Transcript

Visual attention refers to the ability to focus in on just a part of an image. To study how people attend to objects in cluttered visual scenes, psychologists use a paradigm known as visual search.

Often, visual search experiments can help researchers explain why some objects are easy to find and others more difficult.

Using the visual search paradigm, this video will demonstrate how to design and identify stimuli for experiments, as well as perform, analyze, and interpret results.

To design the stimuli, compose a pair of conditions that are very similar in terms of display contents, but vary in terms of search difficulty. Consider the classic contrasting example between ‘Feature Search’ and ‘Conjunction Search.’

In the Feature Search condition, design trials in which a single feature distinguishes a target amongst its neighbours, known as the distractors. Here, the target is a red bar, and all the distractors are blue bars. The participant should efficiently find the target, as it “pops out” quickly, even when the distractor load increases from three, six, nine, or 12 blue bars.

In the Conjunction Search condition, design trials in which the target shares similarities with distractors. Here, a red target bar is oriented at -45°, and both red and blue distractors are oriented at +45°. In this case, the participant should find the search more difficult because the similarities don’t provide a “pop out” effect.

Within each search condition, create two sets of 40 trials where the target is present or absent. Make sure to include 10 trials with each distractor load of three, six, nine, or 12 bars. Randomly interleave all trials to guarantee unpredictable sequences for each search type.

To begin the experiment, start by running the Feature Search and Conjunction Search tasks. Use a counterbalanced design, so that some participants will begin with Feature Search, whereas others will complete Conjunction Search first.

With the participant sitting at the computer, assign the ‘M’ key to represent target present responses, and the ‘Z’ key for target absent responses. Indicate to the participant that he or she should press the respective keys to complete each trial as quickly as possible, trying not to make mistakes.

During each trial, capture whether the participant’s response was correct or incorrect, as well as the response time. Output the results into a spreadsheet.

After the participant has completed both search types, examine the overall performance for the target absent trials to make sure the participant was paying attention. Exclude any participant who performs less than 75% correct on these trials.

Once criterion performance has been verified, average together each participant’s response times for all of the target present trials, as a function of search condition (Feature vs. Conjunction) and distractor load.

The data are then graphed by plotting the mean response times across distractor loads for the feature and conjunction search conditions. The response times for the Feature Search task are relatively unaffected by distractor load. In contrast, Conjunction Search response times increase linearly with distractor load. In addition, both searches take about 200 ms with the minimal of three distractors present. This suggests that a uniform amount of time is necessary to start searching and make a response.

Now that you are familiar with setting up a visual search experiment, you can apply this approach to answer more specific research questions.

One of the main challenges faced by our visual system involves the complex integration of multiple visual features. Finding a red bar among all blue ones is easy because only color information is relevant.

However, when finding an object that has several different features, such as orientation and color, more attention must be used to bind those features together.

For example, researchers apply visual search properties to improve how physicians search for certain telltale signs when they look at an x-ray or MRI scan.

In addition, the visual search approach affects how TSA personnel search through scans of passenger baggage at the airport.

You’ve just watched JoVE’s introduction on conducting a visual search experiment. Now you should have a good understanding of how to make visual search stimuli for two different types of visual search conditions, how to conduct the experiment, and finally how to analyze and interpret the results.

You should also have an idea about the type of attention that is required when you are looking for keys on a messy desk or finding the ripest-looking fruit at the grocery store.

Thanks for watching!

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Cite This
JoVE Science Education Database. JoVE Science Education. Visual Search for Features and Conjunctions. JoVE, Cambridge, MA, (2023).