Abstract
Imagine you are in your backyard, bird watching with your friends. Your eyes look upward, scanning the trees and sky. What birds would you expect to find? What do you think they might look like? Consider how the environment you are searching within (your backyard) gives you clues about where to look for birds. Your eyes are likely to scan the trees but are unlikely to scan the ground. The environment also gives you clues about what the birds look like. You would probably expect them to be small and brown (like a robin) if you live in North America, or perhaps more colorful and larger (like a parrot) if you live in a tropical place like Central America. The local environment provides clues that help you predict what your search “target” will look like, and these expectations can even help you find things more quickly!
Highlights
Imagine you are in your backyard, bird watching with your friends
If you are searching for your basset hound, you may accidently look at a similar-looking dog or even a cat, because they share visual features with your dog
Mental representations are created from your past experiences with those objects in the world, and the information is stored in your memory, like pictures stored on a phone
Summary
When you search for things, your brain directs the movement of your eyes toward objects that appear similar to the thing you are looking for. The visual features of objects can direct your eye movements This allows you to find what you’re looking for quickly, because you do not waste as much time looking at things that are unlike your dog, such as a cat or other animals. Your brain directs your eyes toward search targets with the help of mental representations, which are memories of the thing you’re looking for. When you need to find objects, you use these mental representations to create target templates, which are like pictures in your mind that guide your eyes toward the thing you’re looking for (For more details about target templates, see “Using Your Brain (Not Just Your Eyes) to Find Lost Objects” [ ]). How are you supposed to know the exact features of the bear you are looking for? This is where the environment you are searching in can give you clues and provide a mental boost that can help you find the bear faster
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