Effects of part-based similarity on visual search: the Frankenbear experiment.
Do the target-distractor and distractor-distractor similarity relationships known to exist for simple stimuli extend to real-world objects, and are these effects expressed in search guidance or target verification? Parts of photorealistic distractors were replaced with target parts to create four levels of target-distractor similarity under heterogenous and homogenous conditions. We found that increasing target-distractor similarity and decreasing distractor-distractor similarity impaired search guidance and target verification, but that target-distractor similarity and heterogeneity/homogeneity interacted only in measures of guidance; distractor homogeneity lessens effects of target-distractor similarity by causing gaze to fixate the target sooner, not by speeding target detection following its fixation.
Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2500, USA.
Robert G
RG
Alexander
Gregory J
GJ
Zelinsky
D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult