In this line of research, the researchers are examining the influence of relevance of a salient item on task performance, depending on overall task set.
When finding a target item during visual search (looking for a pencil), a salient item can capture attention (your phone flashing from a message). Typical attention studies only examine salient items when shown as distractor during search, to ensure any attention to the items are driven by salience alone. However, the impact of salience may interact with the relevance of the item for the search task (e.g. how likely the salient item is to be the target). Here, the researchers investigate these interactions in a basic science study when participants perform an easy task or a difficult search task.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
117
The proportion of trials, when the salient visual item is present in the array, where the salient item is the search target.
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States
Button Press Reaction Time
Speed to respond correctly to the target- after participant finds the target shape on a computer screen, they press a button to indicate what shape they see
Time frame: During Testing (single day)
Button Press Accuracy
Accuracy of responses to target item- the researchers will measure whether the participants presses the correct button which corresponds to the target shape presented on the computer screen or the incorrect button
Time frame: During Testing (single day)
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