Individual differences in search and monitoring for color targets in dynamic visual displays.

Abstract

Many real-world tasks now involve monitoring visual representations of data that change dynamically over time. Monitoring dynamically changing displays for the onset of targets can be done in two ways: detecting targets directly, post-onset, or predicting their onset from the prior state of distractors. In the present study, participants' eye movements were measured as they monitored arrays of 108 colored squares whose colors changed systematically over time.Across three experiments, the data show that participants detected the onset of targets both directly and predictively. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that predictive detection was only possible when supported by sequential color changes that followed a scale ordered in color space. Experiment 3 included measures of individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) and anxious affect and a manipulation of target prevalence in the search task. It found that predictive monitoring for targets, and decisions about target onsets, were influenced by interactions between individual differences in verbal and spatial WMC and intolerance of uncertainty, a characteristic that reflects worry about uncertain future events. The results have implications for the selection of individuals tasked with monitoring dynamic visual displays for target onsets. Public Significance StatementThe present study shows that onset of color targets in dynamically changing displays can be predicted when changes follow an ordered color space. However, prediction can increase false alarm rate, especially for individuals with low verbal working memory capacity and high intolerance of uncertainty, a characteristic reflecting response to uncertain future events.Implications exist for color scale design when representing dynamically changing data and for personnel selection in display monitoring. Monitoring electronic displays for the onset of targets is a key part of many real world activities and involves sustaining attention over a set of items whose state (or identity) can change (Warm, Finomore, Vidulich, & Funke, 2015;Warm & Parasuraman, 2008). There will be occasions when changes are minimal and all items remain as distractors requiring observers to take no action. There will also be occasions when some items switch from a distractor to a target state requiring a response to be made. The present set of experiments explores the psychological attributes that support the monitoring for the onset of a target color amongst an array of items that change color over the time course of a trial. KeywordsTo provide a detailed real-world example of this type of scenario, consider the case where the colors of items in a display are coded to reflect the density of geological rock formations in a 3D volume (e.g. Donnelly, Cave, Welland, & Menneer, 2006; see Figure 1). In this case, the density of sandstone might be coded as blue, limestone as white, and shale as red.A geologist might sequentially inspect 2D slices of this volume in the hope of finding red in the display, an indicator of hydrocar...

Searching for two categories of target in dynamic visual displays impairs monitoring ability

“…The present study extends the work of Muhl‐Richardson et al () to examine how predictive monitoring is influenced by the need to simultaneously monitor for two types of target drawn from different categories. Previous studies of dual‐target search, where targets were defined within a single category, have found a “dual‐target cost” to response time (RT), accuracy, and search guidance (Menneer, Phillips, Donnelly, Barrett, & Cave, ; Stroud, Menneer, Cave, & Donnelly, ; Stroud, Menneer, Cave, Donnelly, & Rayner, ).…”

“…To simplify target assignment and because previous work did not suggest any systematic differences in search for different target colors (Muhl‐Richardson et al, ), two colors and all numbers were used as possible targets. A single number and a single color were pseudorandomly assigned to each participant as targets, for example, “8” and “yellow,” and this assignment remained constant across all applicable conditions.…”

“…Detecting the onset of targets drawn from two categories is very likely to take longer and be less accurate relative to single category baselines. However, the question we explore in the present study is different: are the eye‐movement markers of predictive monitoring, as defined by Muhl‐Richardson et al (), found when participants must search and monitor for targets in two categories? To address this, we used a dynamic search and monitoring task involving displays of single‐digit numbers and colored squares.…”

“…The extent to which specific items in dynamically changing displays support predictive monitoring has been explored in a recent study (Muhl‐Richardson et al, ). In this study, participants' eye movements were recorded while they monitored displays of changing colored squares (that resembled heat maps) for the onset of a specific color target.…”

Adopting a multidisciplinary approach to maximising performance during military visual search tasks

“…This research is driven, in part, by the finding, covered extensively in open media, that a class of ‘ super -recogniser ’ exists. These individuals exhibit exceptional face recognition and discrimination skills 14. Some initial findings from a PhD research funded by the Dstl suggest that there are certain individual characteristics predictive of good performance at search tasks.…”