Detecting transient changes in dynamic displays: the more you look, the less you see.
OBJECTIVE
Two experiments examined the detectability of transient changes in cluttered and dynamic displays and optimal scan strategies for performance.


BACKGROUND
Research has demonstrated that onset changes are prioritized by the attention system and onsets are often used to signal important display changes. However, research has mostly used uncluttered, static displays and has largely ignored the role of scan strategy.


METHODS
We had participants monitor a cluttered and dynamic display and respond when an object changed color or onset abruptly. Scan strategies were also evaluated. In another experiment participants were instructed to use particular strategies to detect changes.


RESULTS
Consistent with previous results, onset events were detected better than were color change events. Scan strategy accounted for a large proportion of variance in detection performance. Participants who made few eye movements performed best. Participants who actively scanned the display performed worst. When poor performers were instructed to make few eye movements, their performance matched that of the best performers.


CONCLUSIONS
Onset alerts can be an effective means of signaling important events in complex displays. Additionally, scan strategy plays an important role in the detection of transient events.


CONCLUSIONS
These results have important implications for training operators to search for transient changes within dynamic and cluttered displays.
Boot
Walter R
WR
Beckman Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 61801, USA. wboot@cyrus.psych.uiuc.edu
Kramer
Arthur F
AF
Becic
Ensar
E
Wiegmann
Douglas A
DA
Kubose
Tate
T
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D003118:Color Perception; D005133:Eye Movements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011601:Psychophysics; D011930:Reaction Time; D012106:Research; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D014796:Visual Perception