title: The transference of visual search between two unrelated tasks: Measuring the temporal characteristics of carry-over.
abstract: Investigations into the persistence of top-down control settings do not accurately reflect the nature of dynamic tasks. They typically involve extended practice with an initial task, and this initial task usually shares similar stimuli with a second task. Recent work shows that visual attention and search can be affected by limited exposure to a preceding, unrelated task, and the current study explored the temporal characteristics of this "carry-over" effect. Thirty-four participants completed one, four, or eight simple letter searches and then searched a natural scene. The spatial layout of letters influenced spread of search in the pictures, and this was further impacted by the time spent in the initial task, yet the carry-over effect diminished quickly. The results have implications for theories of top-down control and models that attempt to predict search in natural scenes. They are also relevant to real-world tasks in which performance is closely related to visual attention and search.
authors: a School of Health Sciences , University of Salford , Salford , UK.
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Thompson
authors: Lorraine
authors: L
authors: Howting
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Hills
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D005133:Eye Movements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012438:Saccades; D013997:Time Factors; D014163:Transfer, Psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attentional inertia; Carry-over; Eye movements; Task switching; Top-down control; Visual attention