Partial orientation pop-out helps difficult search for orientation.
We interrupted pop-out search before it produced a detection response by adding extra distractors to the search display. We show that when pop-out for an orientation target fails because of this interruption, it nevertheless provides useful information to the processes responsible for difficult search. That is, partial pop-out assists difficult search. This interaction has also been found for color stimuli (Olds, Cowan, & Jolicoeur, 2000a, 2000b). These results indicate that interactions and/or overlap between the mechanisms responsible for pop-out and the mechanisms responsible for difficult search may be quite general in early visual selection.
Olds
E S
ES
Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada. eolds@wlu.ca
Cowan
W B
WB
Jolicoeur
P
P
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D005364:Field Dependence-Independence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011930:Reaction Time