Task Context and Individual Difference Effects on Skill Acquisition of Visual Processing Strategy

Abstract

Pratt and Sohn (2001) suggested that training context impacts those with a holistic strategy while training context does not influence transfer performance for those with an analytic strategy. The present research attempts to compliment and extend their findings by examining the role of complexity and how it interacts with individual differences in visual processing strategy. Participants were given a visual discrimination task in which they trained on one of four stimulus sets that varied in complexity and similarity and then transferred to novel stimuli. Stimulus complexity was defined by the number of points each stimulus had. Stimulus similarity was defined by the six levels of discrimination difficulty. Using methods described by Pratt & Sohn (2001), participant's individual processing strategy was extracted from a screening session prior to training. Participants were categorized as either “analytic” or “holistic” based on their response reaction time as a function of stimulus complexity. Those with an analytic strategy performed with greater accuracy in transfer as complexity level decreased; those with a holistic strategy performed with greater accuracy in transfer as complexity level increased. Graphical design and training techniques are discussed.

Training and Individual Difference Effects on the Ability to Visually Discriminate Serially Presented Graphics: Short Term Memory Capacity in Analytic and Holistic Cognitive Styles

“…Training content interacts with cognitive styles to influences strategy development and subsequent performance in transfer tasks (Kramer et al, 2002;Kramer et al 2003;Pratt & Sohn, 2001). Individuals screened as having an analytic cognitive style performed equally well on a transfer task regardless of training content.…”

“…Individuals with a holistic cognitive style performed as well as the analytic group only when trained with difficult to discriminate, or similar-appearing, stimulus sets than when trained with easy to discriminate, or dissimilarappearing stimulus sets. Kramer et al (2002) suggested that differences between analytic and holistic transfer performance were due to strategy development during initial training. When given difficult training, the holistic group had to modify their preferred style of visual discrimination in order to see minuscule differences by using a point-by-point comparison approach.…”

“…In most cases, however, the standard is absent and workers must rely on their memory of the standard in order to make an accurate discrimination. For parallel-presentation, training content and individual differences in cognitive style interact to affect transfer performance (Doane, Alderson, Sohn, Pellegrino, 1996;Doane, Sohn, & Schreiber, 1999;Folk & Luce, 1987;Eme & Marquer, 1998;Gillan & Harrison, 1999;Kramer, Pratt & Sohn, 2002;Pratt & Sohn, 2001). A similar affect occurs when the discrimination task is presented serially; however, more error variance is present in serial presentations (Kramer, Holzworth, Pratt, & Sohn, 2003).…”

Serial Presentation of Computer Graphics: Training Effects and Strategy Development for Analytic and Holistic Cognitive Styles

“…Therefore, any difference in accuracy performance between groups would be due to a more efficient strategy of discriminating stimuli. Cooper's (1976) methodology (Doane et al, 19%;Kramer et al, 2002;Pratt and Sohn, 2001).…”

Individual Difference Effects on Performance in a Complex, Multi-Decision-Making Environment

“…One approach to interface design is to take into account individual differences in visual search strategies. Previous research has shown when searching computer graphics, individuals who differ in visual search strategies perform equally well if provided appropriate training (Doane, Alderson, Sohn, & Pellegrino, 1996;Doane, Sohn & Schreiber, 1999;Pratt & Sohn, 2001;Kramer, Pratt, &Sohn, 2002). It is uncertain whether these results can be replicated using the emblematic stimuli associated with a pilot interface.…”