Differences In Visual Search Research Articles

Individual differences in visual search: A systematic review of the link between visual search performance and traits or abilities

Visual search (VS) comprises a class of tasks that we typically perform several times during a day and requires intentionally scanning (with or without moving the eyes) the environment for a specific target (be it an object or a feature) among distractor stimuli. Experimental research in lab-based or real-world settings has offered insight into its underlying neurocognitive mechanisms from a nomothetic point of view. A lesser-known but rapidly growing body of quasi-experimental and correlational research has explored the link between individual differences and VS performance. This combines different research traditions and covers a wide range of individual differences in studies deploying a vast array of VS tasks. As such, it is a challenge to determine whether any associations highlighted in single studies are robust when considering the wider literature. However, clarifying such relationships systematically and comprehensively would help build more accurate models of VS, and it would highlight promising directions for future research. This systematic review provides an up to date and comprehensive synthesis of the existing literature investigating associations between common indices of performance in VS tasks and measures of individual differences mapped onto four categories of cognitive abilities (short-term working memory, fluid reasoning, visual processing and processing speed) and seven categories of traits (Big Five traits, trait anxiety and autistic traits). Consistent associations for both traits (in particular, conscientiousness, autistic traits and trait anxiety – the latter limited to emotional stimuli) and cognitive abilities (particularly visual processing) were identified. Overall, however, informativeness of future studies would benefit from checking and reporting the reliability of all measurement tools, applying multiplicity correction, using complementary techniques, study preregistration and testing why, rather than only if, a robust relation between certain individual differences and VS performance exists.

Perceptual span can explain stimulus-specific cultural differences in visual search

Perceptual span can explain stimulus-specific cultural differences in visual search

A cross-cultural comparison of where drivers choose to look when viewing driving scenes

A substantial proportion of road accidents occur as a result of drivers having poor or insufficient visual search strategies. However, the majority of research into drivers visual search comes from high income Western countries where roads are relatively safe, with less being known about the visual search of drivers from non-western, low and middle income countries with much higher crash rates. This is despite the fact that cross-cultural studies have shown differences in visual search outside of driving between Western and Eastern individuals. The current study aimed to see whether these differences were present in driving by asking UK and Malaysian drivers to select where they would look when viewing images of roads from the perspective of a driver. Results showed that all drivers selected a similar number of focal objects, however there was a difference in the type of background information drivers chose to attend to, with Malaysian drivers selecting more task irrelevant information at the expense of task relevant information. Results suggest that there are cultural differences in what drivers choose to attend to which may contribute to the increased crash rate amongst drivers from low and middle income countries.

Top-down and bottom-up guidance in normal aging during scene search.

Age-related differences in visual search have been extensively studied using simple item arrays, showing an attentional decline. Little is known about how aging affects attentional guidance during search in more complex scenes. To study this issue, we analyzed eye-movement behavior in realistic scene search. We examined age-related differences in top-down guidance, manipulating target template specificity (picture vs. word cue) and target-scene semantic consistency (consistent vs. inconsistent), and in bottom-up guidance, manipulating perceptual salience (high vs. low) of targets and distractors. Compared to young adults (YA), older adults (OA) were overall slower, from the first saccade in the scene. They showed a smaller benefit of a specific target template, suggesting that precision of visual information in working memory may decrease with age. The benefit of semantic consistency did not depend on age, suggesting a preserved ability in OA to use knowledge about object occurrence in scenes. OA showed greater bottom-up search facilitation due to target's high salience, which may depend on reduced selection of low-salience stimuli. Attentional capture by distractors was greater in OA than YA, with respect to engagement (probability of distractor fixation), but only following a picture cue, and disengagement (fixation duration on distractors) in all conditions. Overall, our study shows that age-related differences in visual selection of targets and distractors depend on specific task demands in terms of top-down and bottom-up guidance. It also indicates that scene search difficulties in OA can be limited by cognitive and perceptual forms of environmental support. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Magnitude of sex differences in visual search varies with target eccentricity

A recent meta-analysis found no support for the popular theory that superior visuospatial ability in males is attributable to their relatively greater hemispheric asymmetry of neural functions. However, the issue of whether differences in hemispheric laterality could account for differences in visual perception between the sexes has not been systematically investigated. Visual search is an ideal task for such an investigation, as target-position can be systematically varied across the visual field allowing for a detailed analysis of how performance varies with visual field and eccentricity. We recruited 539 undergraduate participants (150 male) and administered a visual search task that required them to identify the presence of a uniquely-oriented triangle amongst distractors. Crucially, target location was systematically varied over the visual field across trials. Males displayed both superior accuracy and shorter reaction time when targets were presented in the left visual field, whilst sex differences systematically diminished when the target was located further rightward. These behavioural results are in line with the notion that greater hemispheric asymmetry in males influences task performance to a varying extent across the visual field, and illustrates the importance of considering task parameters and the influence of sex in behavioural research.

Functional connectivity at rest captures individual differences in visual search.

Brain functional connectivity is supposed to capture personal and lifetime learning experiences and contribute to generating individual differences in cognitive abilities. We tested this possibility using the visual search task as a measure of visual information processing and the functioning of the visual attention control system. Forty-two undergraduate students completed a functional MRI study with a resting-state session and a visual search task scan. The visual attention and control systems were studied by investigating the functional connectivity of the primary visual area, the posterior parietal cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex because these areas have been closely related to the visual search task. A pairwise resting-state functional connectivity analysis was conducted between these regions, followed by a correlation analysis with the behavioral measures from the visual search task. Results showed that higher connectivity values between the posterior parietal cortex and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex were positively correlated with faster response speed. The posterior parietal cortex has been related to the formation of priority maps and the integration of sensory and executive information. Inhibitory control, performance monitoring during top-down cognitive tasks, and target detection have been associated with the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. In light of these results, we suggest that a priori enhanced connectivity between these regions defines individual differences in visual information processing and the ability to adapt to cognitive demands.

And just like that, everybody searches optimally: how changing task irrelevant details remove individual differences in visual search

And just like that, everybody searches optimally: how changing task irrelevant details remove individual differences in visual search

Differences in Visual Search and Eye Movements Between Caesarean-Section and Vaginally-Delivered Infants and Adults

Differences in Visual Search and Eye Movements Between Caesarean-Section and Vaginally-Delivered Infants and Adults

Attentional Selection of Multiple Correlation Ensembles

Our visual system rapidly extracts ensembles to help us understand our environment (Haberman & Whitney, 2012). However, it is not yet understood how multiple ensemble dimensions are used, or how attention can select one ensemble over another. As a first step, we investigated feature selection in attention for multi-dimensional ensembles. Specifically, we examined whether increasing featural differences, which aids perceptual grouping (Moore & Egeth, 1997), would boost selectivity for one ensemble over another. The perception of correlation in scatterplots appears to be an ensemble process (Rensink, 2017), and adding an irrelevant set of data points causes interference (Elliott & Rensink, VSS 2016; 2017). To investigate this more thoroughly, observers performed a correlation discrimination task for scatterplots containing both a "target" ensemble and an irrelevant "distractor" ensemble (Elliott & Rensink, VSS 2017) where target ensembles were distinguished by the color, shape, or color and shape combinations of their elements. Both tasks used ΔE from Szafir (2017) to create a precise experimental color space that takes into account stimulus area and mark type. Distractor colors varied in equal perceptual steps along three axes: luminance, chroma, and hue, which allowed us to investigate whether individual color dimensions influenced selection. Surprisingly, performance was equally good for targets defined by differences in single features and differences in two features. These results indicate that increasing feature differences between the two ensembles does not boost discrimination performance. Moreover, contrary to work by Nagy & Sanchez (1990) on hue differences in visual search, ensemble selection was equally effective along all three color dimensions in the task. And even very small differences along any color dimension were sufficient to facilitate ensemble selection. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2018

Differences in Search Mechanics for Anxious Individuals and Individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder During Real-World Visual Search Tasks

Introduction: Superiority in visual search tasks is often seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and is frequently attributed to perceptual differences in visual processing (either a preference for local processing or a difficulty with global processing). Recent research, however, has suggested that these differences may instead be related to an atypical attentional system. In addition, research has also suggested that individuals with ASD may no longer demonstrate a visual search advantage when those searches involve real-world scenes. Similarly, differences in visual search have been seen in individuals with anxiety, compared to non-anxious typically developing (TD) individuals. Despite the high prevalence of anxiety symptoms in ASD, the extent to which these altered visual search profiles overlap had not been investigated. Method: Individuals with ASD (N = 30), anxiety (N = 27), and typically developing (TD) individuals (N = 49) completed two simple visual search tasks (41 trials of each) with real-world scenes (one to find a digit superimposed on the scene and the other to find an object placed in a contextually-relevant location). Eye movements were recorded to quantify three stages of the search process: initiation time (start of trial to first saccade), scan time (first saccade to first target fixation), and verification time (first target fixation to response). Results: Across conditions, the ASD group required longer initiation time than the anxiety and TD groups. Both the ASD and anxiety groups had a longer scan time and verification time than the TD group but were similar to each other. Conclusion: With real-world scenes, those with ASD and anxiety require more time for real-world visual search. The only aspect of search mechanics uniquely difficult for those with ASD is initiation time. This is consistent with theories proposing a difficulty disengaging attention as underlying real-world visual search difficulties in those with ASD. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2018

Individual Differences in Visual Search and Foraging in children

Individual Differences in Visual Search and Foraging in children

Fixation Differences in Visual Search of Accident Scenes by Novices and Expert Emergency Responders.

We sought to investigate whether expert-novice differences in visual search behavior found in other domains also apply to accident scenes and the emergency response domain. Emergency service professionals typically arrive at accidents only after being dispatched when a civilian witness has called an emergency dispatch number. Differences in visual search behavior between the civilian witness (usually a novice in terms of emergency response) and the professional first responders (experts at emergency response) could thus result in the experts being given insufficient or erroneous information, which would lead them to arrive unprepared for the actual situation. A between-subjects, controlled eye-tracking experiment with 20 novices and 17 experts (rescue and ambulance service personnel) was conducted to explore expert-novice differences in visual search of accident and control images. The results showed that the experts spent more time looking at task-relevant areas of the accident images than novices did, as predicted by the information reduction hypothesis. The longer time was due to longer fixation durations rather than a larger fixation count. Expert-novice differences in visual search are present in the emergency domain. Given that this domain is essential to saving lives and also relies heavily on novices as the first link in the chain of response, such differences deserve further exploration. Visual search behavior from experts can be used for training purposes. Eye-tracking studies of novices can be used to inform the design of emergency dispatch interviews.

Developmental effects of stimulus gender and the social context in which it appears on threat detection.

This study used a hands-free eye-tracking visual search (VS) task to examine possible developmental differences in target detection. Thirty-two young adults and 27 youth were asked to detect a fearful face (male or female) among a crowd of either neutral or happy faces. Fearful male faces were detected faster than fearful female faces, but only by young adults and only when displayed among neutral faces. Additionally, young adults had shorter scanpath lengths prior to the target detection. Finally, a strong negative correlation emerged between age and detection speed for a male target in a neutral crowd. Using this age-matched VS task, the study found age differences in the way individuals detect a threat in a social-related contextual environment, pointing to subtle differences in the emotion-attention interplay during the course of development. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Visual search of threat detection is critical for survival, specifically regarding expressive faces. Visual search efficiency is affected by both stimulus-driven and higher goal-directed processes. Stimuli and contextual features affect threat speed detection. What does this study add? A novel task was designed to examine age-related differences in visual search. Specific stimuli gender and contextual features yielded age-related differences in threat detection. The study further demonstrates the subtle developmental differences in attention-emotion interaction.

Electrophysiological Correlates of Individual Differences in Visual Search

Electrophysiological Correlates of Individual Differences in Visual Search

ANALISIS DE LA PERCEPCION DE EVENTOS ESTATICOS Y DINAMICOS EN PERSONAS CON ENFERMEDAD DE ALZHEIMER

Uno de los aspectos afectados en la Enfermedad de Alzheimer es el lenguaje. La naturaleza y manifestaciones de estas dificultades se relacionan con la forma como los pacientes con EA perciben y comprenden el mundo que les rodea. 
 
 En la presente investigación se analizaron las fijaciones visuales de siete pacientes con EA y sus controles durante tareas de percepción de escenas estáticas y dinámicas (imagen y video respectivamente). De igual forma se analizó una muestra de lenguaje producida por los pacientes al narrar el evento dinámico. 
 
 Los resultados indican diferencias significativas en cuanto a la búsqueda visual, en la cual el grupo con EA presento disminución de la velocidad. En tareas de rastreo se evidencia que las personas con EA identifican menos elementos en una imagen realizando menos fijaciones, con estrategias de exploración poco eficientes. En cuanto al evento dinámico, el rastreo visual fue similar entre los dos grupos sin embargo la expresión lingüística de lo observado está afectada en el grupo con EA revelando la relación de la percepción y el lenguaje ya que a pesar de observar los eventos dentro de una escena en movimiento, estos no son recobrados posteriormente para ser expresados lingüísticamente. Estos resultados tienen importantes implicaciones tanto en la identificación de la naturaleza de las dificultades lingüísticas en la EA como en el manejo de la misma.

Cultural Differences in Visual Search for Geometric Figures.

While some studies suggest cultural differences in visual processing, others do not, possibly because the complexity of their tasks draws upon high-level factors that could obscure such effects. To control for this, we examined cultural differences in visual search for geometric figures, a relatively simple task for which the underlying mechanisms are reasonably well known. We replicated earlier results showing that North Americans had a reliable search asymmetry for line length: Search for long among short lines was faster than vice versa. In contrast, Japanese participants showed no asymmetry. This difference did not appear to be affected by stimulus density. Other kinds of stimuli resulted in other patterns of asymmetry differences, suggesting that these are not due to factors such as analytic/holistic processing but are based instead on the target-detection process. In particular, our results indicate that at least some cultural differences reflect different ways of processing early-level features, possibly in response to environmental factors.

Group-level differences in visual search asymmetry.

East Asians and Westerners differ in various aspects of perception and cognition. For example, visual memory for East Asians is believed to be more influenced by the contextual aspects of a scene than is the case for Westerners (Masuda & Nisbett in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 922-934, 2001). There are also differences in visual search: For Westerners, search is faster for a long line among short ones than for a short line among long ones, whereas this difference does not appear to hold for East Asians (Ueda et al., 2016). However, it is unclear how these group-level differences originate. To investigate the extent to which they depend upon environment, we tested visual search and visual memory in East Asian immigrants who had lived in Canada for different amounts of time. Recent immigrants were found to exhibit no search asymmetry, unlike Westerners who had spent their lives in Canada. However, immigrants who had lived in Canada for more than 2years showed performance comparable to that of Westerners. These differences could not be explained by the general analytic/holistic processing distinction believed to differentiate Westerners and East Asians, since all observers showed a strong holistic tendency for visual recognition. The results instead support the suggestion that exposure to a new environment can significantly affect the particular processes used to perceive a given stimulus.

Understanding visual search patterns of dermatologists assessing pigmented skin lesions before and after online training.

The goal of this investigation was to explore the feasibility of characterizing the visual search characteristics of dermatologists evaluating images corresponding to single pigmented skin lesions (PSLs) (close-ups and dermoscopy) as a venue to improve training programs for dermoscopy. Two Board-certified dermatologists and two dermatology residents participated in a phased study. In phase I, they viewed a series of 20 PSL cases ranging from benign nevi to melanoma. The close-up and dermoscopy images of the PSL were evaluated sequentially and rated individually as benign or malignant, while eye position was recorded. Subsequently, the participating subjects completed an online dermoscopy training module that included a pre- and post-test assessing their dermoscopy skills (phase 2). Three months later, the subjects repeated their assessment on the 20 PSLs presented during phase I of the study. Significant differences in viewing time and eye-position parameters were observed as a function of level of expertise. Dermatologists overall have more efficient search than residents generating fewer fixations with shorter dwells. Fixations and dwells associated with decisions changing from benign to malignant or vice versa from photo to dermatoscopic viewing were longer than any other decision, indicating increased visual processing for those decisions. These differences in visual search may have implications for developing tools to teach dermatologists and residents about how to better utilize dermoscopy in clinical practice.

럭비 심판의 숙련성에 따른 시각탐색과 의사결정의 차이

럭비 심판의 숙련성에 따른 시각탐색과 의사결정의 차이

Cultural differences in visual search with culturally neutral items

Cultural differences in visual search with culturally neutral items