Efficiency and accuracy of visual search develop at different rates from early childhood through early adulthood

Abstract

Most studies of visual search across the life span have focused on classic feature and conjunction searches in which observers search for a fixed, simple shape target among relatively homogeneous distractors over a block of multiple trials. In the present study, we examine a more realistic task in which participants (4 to 25 years-old) look for images of real objects, presented amongst a heterogeneous array of other objects. The target is unique on every trial, unlike in previous developmental studies of visual search. Our new touchscreen-based "Pirate-Treasure" search also allows the testing of younger children within a videogame-like task. With this method, we tested a large sample (n = 293) of typically developing children and young adults. We assessed the developmental course of different search metrics like search efficiency, motor response differences, and accuracy (misses and false-alarm errors). Results show the most rapid time courses in development for accuracy. Search slopes reach the young adult level most slowly. The intercepts of the Reaction Time (RT) × Set Size function are often attributed to nonsearch perceptual and motor components of the task. The intercept time course is intermediate between accuracy and slope. Interestingly, these developmental functions follow time courses proposed in neuropsychological models of executive function development. This suggests that a single, video-game-like search task could be useful in routine assessments of cognitive development.

I can look for it! Modulation of a concurrent Visual Working Memory task in Visual Search in development

“…Again, as expected from previous studies, RTs were larger for set size 32 and target-absent conditions (refer to Table 4). The interaction was also significant: set size effects were larger under target-absent conditions, replicating previous results again (Gil-Gómez de Liaño et al, 2020).…”

“…We recruited 191 participants from public and private elementary and middle schools in Madrid, Spain, and college students from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. From previous studies on the lifespan in visual search (Gil-Gómez de Liaño et al, 2020), looking for age differences showed that with the alpha set to 0.05 and 1-beta (power) of over 0.9, we could detect significant effects (partial eta-square η 2 = 0.01) if we run between 21 and 33 participants per group of age. Thus, our sample size allowed for sizeable cohorts in each age, with a minimum of 21 for each age group (refer to Table 1).…”

“…Indeed, a recent developmental study using conjunction search-like inefficient although more ecological, unique object search has shown visual search as a powerful paradigm to understand executive function development. Gil-Gómez de Liaño et al (2020) found different developmental trajectories for accuracy, search slopes, and intercepts in visual search closely related to underlying executive functions described in Anderson's (2002) neuropsychological executive function model. The developmental course of accuracy essentially overlapped attentional control in Anderson's model, while slope functions overlapped goal setting, and intercepts followed the time course of cognitive flexibility and information processing.…”

“…To our knowledge, we are the first to study these interactions under those classic dual-task paradigms. We will use the Pirate-Treasure visual search task designed by Gil-Gómez de Liaño et al (2020) in a sample of kindergarten to college students. Observers must look for realworld photorealistic targets while maintaining similar objects in visual working memory.…”

Letter processing in upright bigrams predicts reading fluency variations in children.

“…Given that visual search performance changes with age, it is worth considering whether our findings are driven by these changes. The motor and executive functions required for efficient visual search improve rapidly in children around the ages tested in our study (Hommel et al, 2004; Gil-Gómez de Liaño et al, 2020). In particular, children are more susceptible to distractors compared to older adults despite having similar response times.…”