Skip to main content
Top
Gepubliceerd in:

15-09-2017 | Original Article

More insight into the interplay of response selection and visual attention in dual-tasks: masked visual search and response selection are performed in parallel

Auteurs: Christina B. Reimer, Torsten Schubert

Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research | Uitgave 3/2019

Log in om toegang te krijgen
share
DELEN

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

  • Optie A:
    Klik op de rechtermuisknop op de link en selecteer de optie “linkadres kopiëren”
  • Optie B:
    Deel de link per e-mail

Abstract

Both response selection and visual attention are limited in capacity. According to the central bottleneck model, the response selection processes of two tasks in a dual-task situation are performed sequentially. In conjunction search, visual attention is required to select the items and to bind their features (e.g., color and form), which results in a serial search process. Search time increases as items are added to the search display (i.e., set size effect). When the search display is masked, visual attention deployment is restricted to a brief period of time and target detection decreases as a function of set size. Here, we investigated whether response selection and visual attention (i.e., feature binding) rely on a common or on distinct capacity limitations. In four dual-task experiments, participants completed an auditory Task 1 and a conjunction search Task 2 that were presented with an experimentally modulated temporal interval between them (Stimulus Onset Asynchrony, SOA). In Experiment 1, Task 1 was a two-choice discrimination task and the conjunction search display was not masked. In Experiment 2, the response selection difficulty in Task 1 was increased to a four-choice discrimination and the search task was the same as in Experiment 1. We applied the locus-of-slack method in both experiments to analyze conjunction search time, that is, we compared the set size effects across SOAs. Similar set size effects across SOAs (i.e., additive effects of SOA and set size) would indicate sequential processing of response selection and visual attention. However, a significantly smaller set size effect at short SOA compared to long SOA (i.e., underadditive interaction of SOA and set size) would indicate parallel processing of response selection and visual attention. In both experiments, we found underadditive interactions of SOA and set size. In Experiments 3 and 4, the conjunction search display in Task 2 was masked. Task 1 was the same as in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. In both experiments, the d′ analysis revealed that response selection did not affect target detection. Overall, Experiments 1–4 indicated that neither the response selection difficulty in the auditory Task 1 (i.e., two-choice vs. four-choice) nor the type of presentation of the search display in Task 2 (i.e., not masked vs. masked) impaired parallel processing of response selection and conjunction search. We concluded that in general, response selection and visual attention (i.e., feature binding) rely on distinct capacity limitations.
Literatuur
go back to reference Brisson, B., & Jolicoeur, P. (2007a). A psychological refractory period in access to visual short-term memory and the deployment of visual-spatial attention: Multitasking processing deficits revealed by event-related potentials. Psychophysiology, 44(2), 323–333. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.2007.00503.x.CrossRefPubMed Brisson, B., & Jolicoeur, P. (2007a). A psychological refractory period in access to visual short-term memory and the deployment of visual-spatial attention: Multitasking processing deficits revealed by event-related potentials. Psychophysiology, 44(2), 323–333. doi:10.​1111/​j.​1469-8986.​2007.​00503.​x.CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Brisson, B., & Jolicoeur, P. (2007b). Electrophysiological evidence of central interference in the control of visuospatial attention. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 14(1), 126–132. doi:10.3758/BF03194039.CrossRefPubMed Brisson, B., & Jolicoeur, P. (2007b). Electrophysiological evidence of central interference in the control of visuospatial attention. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 14(1), 126–132. doi:10.​3758/​BF03194039.CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Cameron, E. L., Tai, J. C., Eckstein, M. P., & Carrasco, M. (2004). Signal detection theory applied to three visual search tasks: Identification, yes/no detection and localization. Spatial Vision, 17(4), 295–325. doi:10.1163/1568568041920212.CrossRefPubMed Cameron, E. L., Tai, J. C., Eckstein, M. P., & Carrasco, M. (2004). Signal detection theory applied to three visual search tasks: Identification, yes/no detection and localization. Spatial Vision, 17(4), 295–325. doi:10.​1163/​1568568041920212​.CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Carpenter, R. H. S. (1988). Movements of the eyes (2nd ed.). London: Pion Ltd. Carpenter, R. H. S. (1988). Movements of the eyes (2nd ed.). London: Pion Ltd.
go back to reference Duncan, J. (1985). Visual search and visual attention. In M. I. Posner & O. S. M. Marin (Eds.), Attention and performance (Vol. XI, pp. 85–106). Hillsdale: Erlbaum. Duncan, J. (1985). Visual search and visual attention. In M. I. Posner & O. S. M. Marin (Eds.), Attention and performance (Vol. XI, pp. 85–106). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.
go back to reference Green, D. M., & Swets, J. A. (1966/1974). Signal detection theory and psychophysics (A reprint, with corrections of the original 1966 ed.). Huntington: Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co. Green, D. M., & Swets, J. A. (1966/1974). Signal detection theory and psychophysics (A reprint, with corrections of the original 1966 ed.). Huntington: Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co.
go back to reference Humphreys, G. W., Hodsoll, J., Olivers, C. N. L., & Yoon, E. Y. (2006). Contributions from cognitive neuroscience to understanding functional mechanisms of visual search. Visual Cognition, 14(4–8), 832–850. doi:10.1080/13506280500195516.CrossRef Humphreys, G. W., Hodsoll, J., Olivers, C. N. L., & Yoon, E. Y. (2006). Contributions from cognitive neuroscience to understanding functional mechanisms of visual search. Visual Cognition, 14(4–8), 832–850. doi:10.​1080/​1350628050019551​6.CrossRef
go back to reference Kirk, R. E. (2013). Experimental design: Procedures for the behavioral sciences (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.CrossRef Kirk, R. E. (2013). Experimental design: Procedures for the behavioral sciences (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.CrossRef
go back to reference Olivers, C. N. L., & Meeter, M. (2006). On the dissociation between compound and present/absent tasks in visual search: Intertrial priming is ambiguity driven. Visual Cognition, 13(1), 1–28. doi:10.1080/13506280500308101.CrossRef Olivers, C. N. L., & Meeter, M. (2006). On the dissociation between compound and present/absent tasks in visual search: Intertrial priming is ambiguity driven. Visual Cognition, 13(1), 1–28. doi:10.​1080/​1350628050030810​1.CrossRef
go back to reference Palmer, J., & McLean, J. (1995). Imperfect, unlimited-capacity, parallel search yields large set-size effects. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Mathematical Psychology, Irvine, CA. Palmer, J., & McLean, J. (1995). Imperfectunlimited-capacityparallel search yields large set-size effects. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Mathematical Psychology, Irvine, CA.
go back to reference Reimer, C. B., Strobach, T., Frensch, P. A., & Schubert, T. (2015). Are processing limitations of visual attention and response selection subject to the same bottleneck in dual-tasks? Attention Perception and Psychophysics, 77(4), 1052–1069. doi:10.3758/s13414-015-0874-9.CrossRef Reimer, C. B., Strobach, T., Frensch, P. A., & Schubert, T. (2015). Are processing limitations of visual attention and response selection subject to the same bottleneck in dual-tasks? Attention Perception and Psychophysics, 77(4), 1052–1069. doi:10.​3758/​s13414-015-0874-9.CrossRef
go back to reference Reimer, C. B., Strobach, T., & Schubert, T. (2016). Concurrent deployment of visual attention and response selection bottleneck in a dual-task: Electrophysiological and behavioural evidence. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70(12), 2460–2477. doi:10.1080/17470218.2016.1245348.CrossRefPubMed Reimer, C. B., Strobach, T., & Schubert, T. (2016). Concurrent deployment of visual attention and response selection bottleneck in a dual-task: Electrophysiological and behavioural evidence. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70(12), 2460–2477. doi:10.​1080/​17470218.​2016.​1245348.CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Schubert, T. (1999). Processing differences between simple and choice reactions affect bottleneck localization in overlapping tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 25(2), 408–425. Schubert, T. (1999). Processing differences between simple and choice reactions affect bottleneck localization in overlapping tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 25(2), 408–425.
go back to reference Wolfe, J. M. (2007). Guided search 4.0: Current progress with a model of visual search. In W. Gray (Ed.), Integrated models of cognitive system, pp. 99–119. New York: Oxford. Wolfe, J. M. (2007). Guided search 4.0: Current progress with a model of visual search. In W. Gray (Ed.), Integrated models of cognitive system, pp. 99–119. New York: Oxford.
go back to reference Wolfe, J. M. (2012b). When do I quit? The search termination problem in visual search. Nebraska Symposium on Motivation. Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, vol. 59, pp. 183–208. Wolfe, J. M. (2012b). When do I quit? The search termination problem in visual search. Nebraska Symposium on Motivation. Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, vol. 59, pp. 183–208.
Metagegevens
Titel
More insight into the interplay of response selection and visual attention in dual-tasks: masked visual search and response selection are performed in parallel
Auteurs
Christina B. Reimer
Torsten Schubert
Publicatiedatum
15-09-2017
Uitgeverij
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Gepubliceerd in
Psychological Research / Uitgave 3/2019
Print ISSN: 0340-0727
Elektronisch ISSN: 1430-2772
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-017-0906-2