Interactive multiple object tracking (iMOT).
We introduce a new task for exploring the relationship between action and attention. In this interactive multiple object tracking (iMOT) task, implemented as an iPad app, participants were presented with a display of multiple, visually identical disks which moved independently. The task was to prevent any collisions during a fixed duration. Participants could perturb object trajectories via the touchscreen. In Experiment 1, we used a staircase procedure to measure the ability to control moving objects. Object speed was set to 1°/s. On average participants could control 8.4 items without collision. Individual control strategies were quite variable, but did not predict overall performance. In Experiment 2, we compared iMOT with standard MOT performance using identical displays. Object speed was set to 2°/s. Participants could reliably control more objects (M = 6.6) than they could track (M = 4.0), but performance in the two tasks was positively correlated. In Experiment 3, we used a dual-task design. Compared to single-task baseline, iMOT performance decreased and MOT performance increased when the two tasks had to be completed together. Overall, these findings suggest: 1) There is a clear limit to the number of items that can be simultaneously controlled, for a given speed and display density; 2) participants can control more items than they can track; 3) task-relevant action appears not to disrupt MOT performance in the current experimental context.
Department of Cognitive Science, University of Malta, Msida, Malta ; Psychology Department, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom.
Ian M
IM
Thornton
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany ; Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Heinrich H
HH
Bülthoff
Visual Attention Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America ; Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Todd S
TS
Horowitz
Psychology Department, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom.
Aksel
A
Rynning
Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Seong-Whan
SW
Lee
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult