Chapter 14 - Prefixational Object Perception in Scenes: Objects Popping Out of Schemas

Abstract

The objects fixated in a scene in which they are likely to appear are easier to identify than the same objects fixated in an implausible context. There appears to be unanimity in findings about the above statement. The findings are corroborated from multiple independent studies concluding repeatedly that plausible objects exhibit shorter first-fixation durations, shorter gaze durations, and shorter naming latencies than implausible objects. However, less unanimity exists with respect to plausibility effects on the identifiability of objects that are not being fixated which implies that extrafoveally located objects that have not yet been fixated ( prefixational) or objects the eye has already left behind (postfixational). This chapter also explores a newly tested computational model of visual input processing in which competing influences of schema-driven perception and novel pop-out are detailed and reconciled. Based on this theory, scene research can test for specific patterns of effects as well as processing characteristics which are diagnostic for schema-driven perception and/or implausible pop-out. If attention is selectively captured at the onset of scene exploration, it appears to be by schema-consistent rather than inconsistent objects.