Generalization of Memory Scanning and Visual Search Principles to Higher Order Information Processing

Several experiments were conducted to examine how the major phenomena in simple visual search generalize to searching for words and categories of words. Seven prominent effects in the visual search literature are reviewed. Experiment 1 examined word and category visual search when the targets and distractor sets had a varied mapping (VM) across trials. Reaction time was a linear function of the number of comparisons with a positive slope of 48 msec per word, 92 msec per category. Results suggest self-terminating search with reaction time being a linear function of memory and display comparisons with little or no improvement with practice. Experiment 2 examined search with a consistent mapping (CM) between targets and distractors. Category search slope dropped to 2 msec and became nonlinear. Word search slope dropped to 18 msec but was still linear. Experiment 3 examined simultaneous category detection and a concurrent serial recall digit-span task. Subjects could simultaneously perform the digit-span task and CM category search without deficit. However, combining VM category search and the digit-span task resulted in substantial performance deficit. Experiment 4 demonstrated that CM category search improvement and asymptotic performance level were independent of the size of the trained category. Experiments 5 and 7 showed that CM category search training on a subset of category exemplars transfers to untrained exemplars of that category. These results indicate that the improvement in CM category search is not simply the result of rapid learning of the individual category elements but due to processing at the category level. Experiment 6 replicated the dual task results of experiment 3 using as the primary task a continuous VM digit search task. The generality of effects across stimulus complexity levels and five principles of search processing are discussed with regard to automatic/controlled processing theory and production systems.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Fisk, Arthur Daniel

• Psychology, Experimental

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8218467

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/69613