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Lukavský J, Meyerhoff HS. Gaze coherence reveals distinct tracking strategies in multiple object and multiple identity tracking. Psychon Bull Rev 2024; 31:1280-1289. [PMID: 37940799 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02417-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
In dynamic environments, a central task of the attentional system is to keep track of objects changing their spatial location over time. In some instances, it is sufficient to track only the spatial locations of moving objects (i.e., multiple object tracking; MOT). In other instances, however, it is also important to maintain distinct identities of moving objects (i.e., multiple identity tracking; MIT). Despite previous research, it is not clear whether MOT and MIT performance emerge from the same tracking mechanism. In the present report, we study gaze coherence (i.e., the extent to which participants repeat their gaze behaviour when tracking the same object locations twice) across repeated MOT and MIT trials. We observed more substantial gaze coherence in repeated MOT trials compared to the repeated MIT trials or mixed MOT-MIT trial pairs. A subsequent simulation study suggests that MOT is based more on a grouping mechanism than MIT, whereas MIT is based more on a target-jumping mechanism than MOT. It thus appears unlikely that MOT and MIT emerge from the same basic tracking mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Lukavský
- Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Pod Vodárenskou věží 1143/4, 182 00, Prague, Czech Republic.
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2
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Frielink-Loing A, Koning A, van Lier R. Multiple object tracking in the presence of a goal: Attentional anticipation and suppression. J Vis 2024; 24:10. [PMID: 38787571 PMCID: PMC11129718 DOI: 10.1167/jov.24.5.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In previous studies, we found that tracking multiple objects involves anticipatory attention, especially in the linear direction, even when a target bounced against a wall. We also showed that active involvement, in which the wall was replaced by a controllable paddle, resulted in increased allocation of attention to the bounce direction. In the current experiments, we wanted to further investigate the potential influence of the valence of the heading of an object. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were instructed to catch targets with a movable goal. In Experiment 3, participants were instructed to manipulate the permeability of a static wall in order to let targets either approach goals (i.e., green goals) or avoid goals (i.e., red goals). The results of Experiment 1 showed that probe detection ahead of a target that moved in the direction of the goal was higher as compared to probe detection in the direction of a no-goal area. Experiment 2 provided further evidence that the attentional highlighting found in the first experiment depends on the movement direction toward the goal. In Experiment 3, we found that not so much the positive (or neutral) valence (here, the green and no-goal areas) led to increased allocation of attention but rather a negative valence (here the red goals) led to a decreased allocation of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Frielink-Loing
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Arno Koning
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rob van Lier
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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3
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Legault I, Faubert J. Gender comparison of perceptual-cognitive learning in young athletes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8635. [PMID: 38622179 PMCID: PMC11018768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59486-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Elite athletes demonstrate higher perceptual cognitive abilities compared to non-athletes and those capacities can be trained. A recent study showed that differences were observed between male and female athletes in their cognitive abilities whereby male athletes showed superior perceptual abilities compared to female athletes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there were gender differences in athletes' perceptual cognitive learning using a 3D-MOT tracking task. The study was performed on 72 young people from 16 to 22 years of age; athlete males and females and non-athlete males and females were distributed in four distinct groups. Five sessions comprised of three thresholds were performed with each participant. Results indicated that all participants benefited from training and significantly increased their speed thresholds. Initial scores showed that male athletes achieved higher speed thresholds than any other groups. Furthermore, after 5 weeks, female athletes obtained higher speed thresholds in comparison to their non-athlete counterparts. In conclusion, engaging in sporting activity is associated with improved perceptual-cognitive abilities and learning. The results support the notion that competitive sport-related activity is beneficial for perceptual-cognitive functions and emphasizes the benefits of participating in sport-related activities for improved brain function with an even greater impact for females.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jocelyn Faubert
- Faubert Lab, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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4
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Merkel C, Hopf JM, Schoenfeld MA. Location- and Object-Based Representational Mechanisms Account for Bilateral Field Advantage in Multiple-Object Tracking. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0519-23.2024. [PMID: 38479811 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0519-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Keeping track of multiple visually identical and independently moving objects is a remarkable feature of the human visual system. Theoretical accounts for this ability focus on resource-based models that describe parametric decreases of performance with increasing demands during the task (i.e., more relevant items, closer distances, higher speed). Additionally, the presence of two central tracking resources, one within each hemisphere, has been proposed, allowing for an independent maintenance of moving targets within each visual hemifield. Behavioral evidence in favor of such a model shows that human subjects are able to track almost twice as many targets across both hemifields compared with within one hemifield. A number of recent publications argue for two separate and parallel tracking mechanisms during standard object tracking tasks that allow for the maintenance of the relevant information in a location-based and object-based manner. Unique electrophysiological correlates for each of those processes have been identified. The current study shows that these electrophysiological components are differentially present during tracking within either the left or right hemifield. The present results suggest that targets are mostly maintained as an object-based representation during left hemifield tracking, while location-based resources are preferentially engaged during right hemifield tracking. Interestingly, the manner of representation does not seem to have an impact on behavioral performance within the subjects, while the electrophysiological component indicating object-based tracking does correlate with performance between subjects. We propose that hemifield independence during multiple-object tracking may be an indication of the underlying hemispheric bias for parallel location-based and object-based tracking mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Merkel
- Department for Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Jens-Max Hopf
- Department for Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz-Institute of Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Mircea Ariel Schoenfeld
- Department for Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Schmieder-Kliniken, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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5
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Lukavský J, Oksama L, Děchtěrenko F. Multiple object tracking with extended occlusions. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2023; 76:2094-2106. [PMID: 36398964 DOI: 10.1177/17470218221142463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
In everyday life, we often view objects through a limited aperture (e.g., soccer players on TV or cars slipping into our blind spot on a busy road), where objects often move out of view and reappear in a different place later. We modelled this situation in a series of multiple object tracking (MOT) experiments, in which we introduced a cover on the edges of the observed area and manipulated its width. This method introduced systematic occlusions, which were longer than those used in previous MOT studies. Experiment 1 (N = 50) showed that tracking under such conditions is possible, although difficult. An item-level analysis confirmed that people made more errors in targets that were covered longer and more often. In Experiment 2 (N = 50), we manipulated the tracking workload and found that the participants were less affected by the cover when the tracking load was low. In Experiment 3 (N = 50), we asked the participants to keep track of the objects' identities (multiple identity tracking [MIT]). Although MIT is subjectively more demanding, memorising identities improved performance in the most difficult cover conditions. Contrary to previous reports, we also found that even partial occlusions negatively affected tracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Lukavský
- Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lauri Oksama
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Filip Děchtěrenko
- Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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6
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Li H, Hu L, Wei L, He H, Zhang X. Disentangling working memory from multiple-object tracking: Evidence from dual-task interferences. Scand J Psychol 2023. [PMID: 36892531 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Multiple object tracking (MOT) is generally regarded as a pure attention-consuming task that draws heavily on attention resources. In the present study, we adopted a cross-channel visual-audio dual-task paradigm, i.e., the MOT task combined with the concurrent auditory N-back working memory task, to test whether working memory indeed plays a necessary role in the process of multiple tracking, as well as to further identify the specific types of working memory components involved in this process. Experiments 1a and 1b examined the relationship between the MOT task and nonspatial object working memory (OWM) processing by manipulating the tracking load and working memory load, respectively. Results in both experiments indicated that the concurrent nonspatial OWM task did not have a significant effect on the tracking capacity of the MOT task. In contrast, Experiments 2a and 2b examined the relationship between the MOT task and spatial working memory (SWM) processing by a similar approach. Results in both experiments indicated that the concurrent SWM task significantly impaired the tracking capacity of the MOT task, showing a gradual decrease with increasing SWM load. Overall, our study provides empirical evidence that multiple object tracking does involve working memory, primarily related to spatial working memory rather than nonspatial object working memory, which sheds more light on the mechanisms of multiple object tracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Luming Hu
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Zhuhai, China
| | - Liuqing Wei
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong He
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuemin Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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7
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Sun M, Xin X, Ying H, Hu L, Zhang X. Categorical encoding of moving colors during location tracking. Perception 2023; 52:195-212. [PMID: 36596275 DOI: 10.1177/03010066221147120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Categorical perception (CP) describes our tendency to perceive the visual world in a categorical manner, suggesting that high-level cognition may affect perception. While most studies are conducted in static visual scenes, Sun and colleagues found CP effects of color in multiple object tracking (MOT). This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the neural mechanism behind the categorical effects of color in MOT. Categorical effects were associated with activities in a broad range of brain regions, including both the ventral (V4, middle temporal gyrus) and dorsal pathways (MT + /V5, inferior parietal lobule) of feature processing, as well as frontal regions (middle frontal gyrus, medial superior frontal gyrus). We proposed that these regions are hierarchically organized and responsible for distinct functions. The color-selective V4 encodes color categories, making cross-category colors more discriminable than within-category colors. Meanwhile, the language and/or semantic regions encode the verbal information of the colors. Both visual and nonvisual codes of color categories then modulate the activities of motion-sensitive MT + areas and frontal areas responsible for attentional processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Luming Hu
- 47836Beijing Normal University, China
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8
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Bill J, Gershman SJ, Drugowitsch J. Visual motion perception as online hierarchical inference. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7403. [PMID: 36456546 PMCID: PMC9715570 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34805-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the structure of motion relations in the environment is critical for navigation, tracking, prediction, and pursuit. Yet, little is known about the mental and neural computations that allow the visual system to infer this structure online from a volatile stream of visual information. We propose online hierarchical Bayesian inference as a principled solution for how the brain might solve this complex perceptual task. We derive an online Expectation-Maximization algorithm that explains human percepts qualitatively and quantitatively for a diverse set of stimuli, covering classical psychophysics experiments, ambiguous motion scenes, and illusory motion displays. We thereby identify normative explanations for the origin of human motion structure perception and make testable predictions for future psychophysics experiments. The proposed online hierarchical inference model furthermore affords a neural network implementation which shares properties with motion-sensitive cortical areas and motivates targeted experiments to reveal the neural representations of latent structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Bill
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Samuel J Gershman
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jan Drugowitsch
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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9
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Adamian N, Andersen SK. Attentional Enhancement of Tracked Stimuli in Early Visual Cortex Has Limited Capacity. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8709-8715. [PMID: 36202616 PMCID: PMC9671574 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0605-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Keeping track of the location of multiple moving objects is one of the well documented functions of visual attention. However, the mechanism of attentional selection that supports such continuous tracking is unclear. In particular, it has been proposed that target selection in early visual cortex occurs in parallel, with tracking errors arising because of attentional limitations at later processing stages. Here, we examine whether, instead, total attentional capacity for enhancement of early visual processing of tracked targets is shared between all attended stimuli. If the magnitude of attentional facilitation of multiple tracked targets was a key limiting factor of tracking ability, then one should expect it to drop systematically with increasing set-size of tracked targets. Human observers (male and female) were instructed to track two, four, or six moving objects among a pool of identical distractors. Steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) recorded during the tracking period revealed that the processing of tracked targets was consistently amplified compared with the processing of the distractors. The magnitude of this amplification decreased with increasing set size, and at lateral occipital electrodes it closely followed inverse proportionality to the number of tracked items, suggesting that limited attentional resources must be shared among the tracked stimuli. Accordingly, the magnitude of attentional facilitation predicted the behavioral outcome at the end of the trial. Together, these findings demonstrate that the limitations of multiple object tracking (MOT) across set-sizes stem from the limitations of top-down selective attention already at the early stages of visual processing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The ability to selectively attend to relevant features or objects is the key to flexibility of perception and action in the continuously changing environment. This ability is demonstrated in the multiple object tracking (MOT) task where observers monitor multiple independently moving objects at different locations in the visual field. The role of early attentional enhancement in tracking was previously acknowledged in the literature, however, the limitations on tracking were thought to arise during later stages of processing. Here, we demonstrate that the strength of attentional facilitation depends on the number of tracked objects and predicts successful tracking performance. Thus, it is the limitations of attentional enhancement at the early stages of visual processing that determine behavioral performance limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nika Adamian
- School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX United Kingdom
| | - Søren K Andersen
- School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, DK-5230 Denmark
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10
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Janicijevic D, Miras-Moreno S, Pérez Castilla A, Vera J, Redondo B, Jiménez R, García-Ramos A. Association of military-specific reaction time performance with physical fitness and visual skills. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14007. [PMID: 36068867 PMCID: PMC9441139 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of the present study was to explore whether military-specific reaction time (RT) test performance is affected by individuals' physical and visual skills. Method In a single testing session, the military-specific Simple and Go, No-Go RT, aerobic power (20-m Multistage Shuttle Run test), maximal upper- and lower-body mechanical capacities (bench press and squat against different loads), and visual skills (multiple object tracking and dynamic visual acuity) of 30 young men (15 active-duty military personnel and 15 sport science students) were evaluated. Results The main findings revealed that the Simple RT and Go, No-Go RT presented (1) with aerobic power non-significant small correlations in military personnel (r = -0.39 and -0.35, respectively) and non-significant negligible correlations in sport science students (r = -0.10 and 0.06, respectively), (2) inconsistent and generally non-significant correlations with the maximal mechanical capacities of the upper- and lower-body muscles (r range = -0.10, 0.67 and -0.27, 0.48, respectively), (3) non-significant correlations with visual skills (r magnitude ≥ 0.58) with the only exception of the Go, No-Go RT that was significantly correlated to all visual variables in the group of students (i.e., students who achieved better results during visual tests had shorter RT; r magnitude ≥ 0.58), and (4) none of the physical and visual variables significantly predicted the Simple RT or Go, No-Go RT. Conclusion Altogether, these results indicate that military-specific RT performance is generally independent of physical and visual skills in both military personnel and active university students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danica Janicijevic
- Faculty of Sports Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China,Research Academy of Human Biomechanics, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Ningbo University, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China,University of Belgrade, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, The Research Centre, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Sergio Miras-Moreno
- Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Alejandro Pérez Castilla
- Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jesus Vera
- CLARO (Clinical and Laboratory Applications of Research in Optometry) Research Group, Department of Optics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Beatriz Redondo
- CLARO (Clinical and Laboratory Applications of Research in Optometry) Research Group, Department of Optics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Raimundo Jiménez
- CLARO (Clinical and Laboratory Applications of Research in Optometry) Research Group, Department of Optics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Amador García-Ramos
- Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain,Department of Sports Sciences and Physical Conditioning, Faculty of Education, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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11
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Legault I, Sutterlin-Guindon D, Faubert J. Perceptual cognitive abilities in young athletes: A gender comparison. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273607. [PMID: 36044462 PMCID: PMC9432702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To achieve optimal performance in sports, it is essential to have strong perceptual cognitive abilities. Evidence suggests that athletes have superior perceptual abilities compared to nonathletes. However, gender differences in athletes’ perceptual cognitive abilities have not been previously reported. This project aims to evaluate perceptual cognitive abilities among male and female adolescents. To measure perceptual abilities, a 3-dimensional multiple-object tracking task was used. The findings confirm the superior perceptual cognitive abilities in young athletes relative to nonathletes. However, our results indicate differences in performance patterns between male and female athletes. These results demonstrate that sports engagement and perceptual cognitive abilities are strongly related during adolescence and that this relationship seems more prevalent in male athletes for this age group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jocelyn Faubert
- Faubert Lab, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Qc, Canada
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12
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Unequal allocation of overt and covert attention in Multiple Object Tracking. Atten Percept Psychophys 2022; 84:1519-1537. [PMID: 35562630 PMCID: PMC9232469 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-022-02501-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
In many real-life contexts, where objects are moving around, we are often required to allocate our attention unequally between targets or regions of different importance. However, typical multiple object tracking (MOT) tasks, primarily investigate equal attention allocation as the likelihood of each target being probed is the same. In two experiments, we investigated whether participants can allocate attention unequally across regions of the visual field, using a MOT task where two regions were probed with either a high and low or with equal priority. Experiment 1 showed that for high-priority regions, accuracy (for direction of heading judgments) improved, and participants had more frequent and longer fixations in that region compared with a low-priority region. Experiment 2 showed that eye movements were functional in that they slightly improved accuracy when participants could freely move their eyes compared with when they had to centrally fixate. Replicating Experiment 1, we found better tracking performance for high compared with low-priority regions, in both the free and fixed viewing conditions, but the benefit was greater for the free viewing condition. Although unequal attention allocation is possible without eye movements, eye movements seem to improve tracking ability, presumably by allowing participants to fixate more in the high-priority region and get a better, foveal view of the objects. These findings can help us better understand how observers in real-life settings (e.g., CCTV monitoring, driving) can use their limited attentional capacity to allocate their attention unequally in a demand-based manner across different tracking regions.
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13
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Alnawmasi MM, Mani R, Khuu SK. Changes in the components of visual attention following traumatic brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268951. [PMID: 35679230 PMCID: PMC9182329 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to understand the impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on visual attention and whether different components and processes of visual attention (such as selective, sustained, divided, and covert orientation of visual attention) are affected following brain injury. Methods A literature search between January 1980 to May 2021 was conducted using Medline, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases was undertaken for studies that assessed visual attention using different tasks that target specific or multiple components of visual attention. Three hundred twenty-nine potentially relevant articles were identified, and 20 studies met our inclusion criteria. Results A total of 123 effect sizes (ES) were estimated from 20 studies that included 519 patients with TBI and 530 normal participants. The overall combined ES was statistically significant and large (ES = 0.92), but with high heterogeneity (Q = 614.83, p < 0.0001, I2 = 80.32%). Subgroup analysis showed that the impact of TBI severity, with the ES for moderate-severe TBI significantly higher than mild TBI (t (112) = 3.11, p = 0.002). Additionally, the component of visual attention was differentially affected by TBI (F (2, 120) = 10.25, p<0.0001); the ES for selective attention (ES = 1.13) and covert orientation of visual attention (ES = 1.14) were large, whilst for sustained attention, the ES was medium at 0.43. A subgroup analysis comparing outcome measures showed that reaction time (ES = 1.12) was significantly more affected compared to performance accuracy (ES = 0.43), F (1, 96) = 25.98, p<0.0001). Conclusion Large and significant deficits in visual attention was found following TBI which can last for years after the initial injury. However, different components of visual attention were not affected to the same extent, with selective visual attention and orientation of visual attention most affected following TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed M. Alnawmasi
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Science, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail:
| | - Revathy Mani
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sieu K. Khuu
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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14
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Vu A, Sorel A, Faure C, Aurousseau A, Bideau B, Kulpa R. Visual tracking assessment in a soccer-specific virtual environment: A web-based study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269643. [PMID: 35679300 PMCID: PMC9182227 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to track teammates and opponents is an essential quality to achieve a high level of performance in soccer. The visual tracking ability is usually assessed in the laboratory with non-sport specific scenarios, leading in two major concerns. First, the methods used probably only partially reflects the actual ability to track players on the field. Second, it is unclear whether the situational features manipulated to stimulate visual tracking ability match those that make it difficult to track real players. In this study, participants had to track multiple players on a virtual soccer field. The virtual players moved according to either real or pseudo-random trajectories. The experiment was conducted online using a web application. Regarding the first concern, the visual tracking performance of players in soccer, other team sports, and non-team sports was compared to see if differences between groups varied with the use of soccer-specific or pseudo-random movements. Contrary to our assumption, the ANOVA did not reveal a greater tracking performance difference between soccer players and the two other groups when facing stimuli featuring movements from actual soccer games compared to stimuli featuring pseudo-random ones. Directing virtual players with real-world trajectories did not appear to be sufficient to allow soccer players to use soccer-specific knowledge in their visual tracking activity. Regarding the second concern, an original exploratory analysis based on Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components was conducted to compare the situational features associated with hard-to-track virtual players in soccer-specific or pseudo-random movements. It revealed differences in the situational feature sets associated with hard-to-track players based on movement type. Essentially with soccer-specific movements, how the virtual players were distributed in space appeared to have a significant influence on visual tracking performance. These results highlight the need to consider real-world scenarios to understand what makes tracking multiple players difficult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Vu
- Univ Rennes, Inria, M2S - EA 7470, Rennes, France
- * E-mail:
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15
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Patton CE, Wickens CD, Clegg BA, Noble KM, Smith CAP. How history trails and set size influence detection of hostile intentions. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2022; 7:41. [PMID: 35556185 PMCID: PMC9098711 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-022-00395-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research suggests people struggle to detect a series of movements that might imply hostile intentions of a vessel, yet this ability is crucial in many real world Naval scenarios. To investigate possible mechanisms for improving performance, participants engaged in a simple, simulated ship movement task. One of two hostile behaviors were present in one of the vessels: Shadowing—mirroring the participant’s vessel’s movements; and Hunting—closing in on the participant’s vessel. In the first experiment, history trails, showing the previous nine positions of each ship connected by a line, were introduced as a potential diagnostic aid. In a second experiment, the number of computer-controlled ships on the screen also varied. Smaller set size improved detection performance. History trails also consistently improved detection performance for both behaviors, although still falling well short of optimal, even with the smaller set size. These findings suggest that working memory plays a critical role in performance on this dynamic decision making task, and the constraints of working memory capacity can be decreased through a simple visual aid and an overall reduction in the number of objects being tracked. The implications for the detection of hostile intentions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - C A P Smith
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA
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16
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Lappi O. Egocentric Chunking in the Predictive Brain: A Cognitive Basis of Expert Performance in High-Speed Sports. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:822887. [PMID: 35496065 PMCID: PMC9039003 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.822887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
What principles and mechanisms allow humans to encode complex 3D information, and how can it be so fast, so accurately and so flexibly transformed into coordinated action? How do these processes work when developed to the limit of human physiological and cognitive capacity—as they are in high-speed sports, such as alpine skiing or motor racing? High-speed sports present not only physical challenges, but present some of the biggest perceptual-cognitive demands for the brain. The skill of these elite athletes is in many ways an attractive model for studying human performance “in the wild”, and its neurocognitive basis. This article presents a framework theory for how these abilities may be realized in high-speed sports. It draws on a careful analysis of the case of the motorsport athlete, as well as theoretical concepts from: (1) cognitive neuroscience of wayfinding, steering, and driving; (2) cognitive psychology of expertise; (3) cognitive modeling and machine learning; (4) human-in-the loop modellling in vehicle system dynamics and human performance engineering; (5) experimental research (in the laboratory and in the field) on human visual guidance. The distinctive contribution is the way these are integrated, and the concept of chunking is used in a novel way to analyze a high-speed sport. The mechanisms invoked are domain-general, and not specific to motorsport or the use of a particular type of vehicle (or any vehicle for that matter); the egocentric chunking hypothesis should therefore apply to any dynamic task that requires similar core skills. It offers a framework for neuroscientists, psychologists, engineers, and computer scientists working in the field of expert sports performance, and may be useful in translating fundamental research into theory-based insight and recommendations for improving real-world elite performance. Specific experimental predictions and applicability of the hypotheses to other sports are discussed.
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17
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Influences of active control on attention allocation in MOT. Atten Percept Psychophys 2022; 84:671-681. [PMID: 35018614 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-021-02417-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the influence of active involvement on the way visual attention is distributed during multiple-object tracking (MOT), specifically when objects bounce, using two experiments modeled after the videogame Pong. In both experiments, participants were either assigned to an active group or a passive group. The active groups were instructed to move a virtual paddle in order to bounce target objects as often as possible. Participants in the passive groups viewed recordings of trials from the active groups. In all conditions, participants were asked to track the target objects and to detect dot probes that briefly appeared on the screen. Using probe detection, we explored the distribution of attentional resources over the linear and bounce trajectories of tracked objects. We found that active involvement can enhance probe detection along the future post-bounce trajectory, but it depends on the difficulty of the task.
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18
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John AR, Singh AK, Do TTN, Eidels A, Nalivaiko E, Gavgani AM, Brown S, Bennett M, Lal S, Simpson AM, Gustin SM, Double K, Walker FR, Kleitman S, Morley J, Lin CT. Unravelling the Physiological Correlates of Mental Workload Variations in Tracking and Collision Prediction Tasks. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2022; 30:770-781. [PMID: 35259108 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2022.3157446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Modern work environments have extensive interactions with technology and greater cognitive complexity of the tasks, which results in human operators experiencing increased mental workload. Air traffic control operators routinely work in such complex environments, and we designed tracking and collision prediction tasks to emulate their elementary tasks. The physiological response to the workload variations in these tasks was elucidated to untangle the impact of workload variations experienced by operators. Electroencephalogram (EEG), eye activity, and heart rate variability (HRV) data were recorded from 24 participants performing tracking and collision prediction tasks with three levels of difficulty. Our findings indicate that variations in task load in both these tasks are sensitively reflected in EEG, eye activity and HRV data. Multiple regression results also show that operators' performance in both tasks can be predicted using the corresponding EEG, eye activity and HRV data. The results also demonstrate that the brain dynamics during each of these tasks can be estimated from the corresponding eye activity, HRV and performance data. Furthermore, the markedly distinct neurometrics of workload variations in the tracking and collision prediction tasks indicate that neurometrics can provide insights on the type of mental workload. These findings have applicability to the design of future mental workload adaptive systems that integrate neurometrics in deciding not just "when" but also "what" to adapt. Our study provides compelling evidence in the viability of developing intelligent closed-loop mental workload adaptive systems that ensure efficiency and safety in complex work environments.
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19
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Děchtěrenko F, Jakubková D, Lukavský J, Howard CJ. Tracking multiple fish. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13031. [PMID: 35261822 PMCID: PMC8898553 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) task is a widely used experimental method for studying divided attention, tracking objects in the real world usually looks different. For example, in the real world, objects are usually clearly distinguishable from each other and also possess different movement patterns. One such case is tracking groups of creatures, such as tracking fish in an aquarium. We used movies of fish in an aquarium and measured general tracking performance in this task (Experiment 1). In Experiment 2, we compared tracking accuracy within-subjects in fish tracking, tracking typical MOT stimuli, and in a third condition using standard MOT uniform objects which possessed movement patterns similar to the real fish. This third condition was added to further examine the impact of different motion characteristics on tracking performance. Results within a Bayesian framework showed that tracking real fish shares similarities with tracking simple objects in a typical laboratory MOT task. Furthermore, we observed a close relationship between performance in both laboratory MOT tasks (typical and fish-like) and real fish tracking, suggesting that the commonly used laboratory MOT task possesses a good level of ecological validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Děchtěrenko
- Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Daniela Jakubková
- Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Lukavský
- Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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20
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Kemp C, Hamacher DW, Little DR, Cropper SJ. Perceptual Grouping Explains Similarities in Constellations Across Cultures. Psychol Sci 2022; 33:354-363. [PMID: 35191347 DOI: 10.1177/09567976211044157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cultures around the world organize stars into constellations, or asterisms, and these groupings are often considered to be arbitrary and culture specific. Yet there are striking similarities in asterisms across cultures, and groupings such as Orion, the Big Dipper, the Pleiades, and the Southern Cross are widely recognized across many different cultures. Psychologists have informally suggested that these shared patterns are explained by Gestalt laws of grouping, but there have been no systematic attempts to catalog asterisms that recur across cultures or to explain the perceptual basis of these groupings. Here, we compiled data from 27 cultures around the world and found that a simple computational model of perceptual grouping accounts for many of the recurring cross-cultural asterisms. Our results suggest that basic perceptual principles account for more of the structure of asterisms across cultures than previously acknowledged and highlight ways in which specific cultures depart from this shared baseline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Kemp
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne
| | | | - Daniel R Little
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne
| | - Simon J Cropper
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne
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21
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Merkel C, Hopf J, Schoenfeld MA. Electrophysiological hallmarks of location‐based and object‐based visual multiple objects tracking. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:1200-1214. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Merkel
- Department of Neurology Otto‐von‐Guericke University Magdeburg Germany
| | - Jens‐Max Hopf
- Department of Neurology Otto‐von‐Guericke University Magdeburg Germany
- Department of Behavioral Neurology Leibniz Institute of Neurobiology Magdeburg Germany
| | - Mircea Ariel Schoenfeld
- Department of Neurology Otto‐von‐Guericke University Magdeburg Germany
- Department of Behavioral Neurology Leibniz Institute of Neurobiology Magdeburg Germany
- Kliniken Schmieder Heidelberg Germany
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22
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Hu L, Zhao C, Wei L, Talhelm T, Wang C, Zhang X. How do humans group non-rigid objects in multiple object tracking?: Evidence from grouping by self-rotation. Br J Psychol 2021; 113:653-676. [PMID: 34921401 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies on perceptual grouping found that people can use spatiotemporal and featural information to group spatially separated rigid objects into a unit while tracking moving objects. However, few studies have tested the role of objects' self-motion information in perceptual grouping, although it is of great significance to the motion perception in the three-dimensional space. In natural environments, objects always move in translation and rotation at the same time. The self-rotation of the objects seriously destroys objects' rigidity and topology, creates conflicting movement signals and results in crowding effects. Thus, this study sought to examine the specific role played by self-rotation information on grouping spatially separated non-rigid objects through a modified multiple object tracking (MOT) paradigm with self-rotating objects. Experiment 1 found that people could use self-rotation information to group spatially separated non-rigid objects, even though this information was deleterious for attentive tracking and irrelevant to the task requirements, and people seemed to use it strategically rather than automatically. Experiment 2 provided stronger evidence that this grouping advantage did come from the self-rotation per se rather than surface-level cues arising from self-rotation (e.g. similar 2D motion signals and common shapes). Experiment 3 changed the stimuli to more natural 3D cubes to strengthen the impression of self-rotation and again found that self-rotation improved grouping. Finally, Experiment 4 demonstrated that grouping by self-rotation and grouping by changing shape were statistically comparable but additive, suggesting that they were two different sources of the object information. Thus, grouping by self-rotation mainly benefited from the perceptual differences in motion flow fields rather than in deformation. Overall, this study is the first attempt to identify self-motion as a new feature that people can use to group objects in dynamic scenes and shed light on debates about what entities/units we group and what kinds of information about a target we process while tracking objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luming Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Liuqing Wei
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Thomas Talhelm
- Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Chundi Wang
- Department of Psychology and Research Centre of Aeronautic Psychology and Behavior, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuemin Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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23
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Chakraborty A, Tran TT, Silva AE, Giaschi D, Thompson B. Continuous theta burst TMS of area MT+ impairs attentive motion tracking. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:7289-7300. [PMID: 34591329 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Attentive motion tracking deficits measured using multiple object tracking (MOT) tasks have been identified in a number of neurodevelopmental disorders such as amblyopia and autism. These deficits are often attributed to the abnormal development of high-level attentional networks. However, neuroimaging evidence from amblyopia suggests that reduced MOT performance can be explained by impaired function in motion-sensitive area MT+ alone. To test the hypothesis that a subtle disruption of MT+ function could cause MOT impairment, we assessed whether continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) of MT+ influenced MOT task accuracy in individuals with normal vision. The MOT stimulus consisted of four target and four distractor dots and was presented at ±10° eccentricity (right/left hemifield). fMRI-guided cTBS was applied to left MT+. Participants (n = 13, age: 27 ± 3) attended separate active and sham cTBS sessions where the MOT task was completed before, 5-min post- and 30-min post-cTBS. Active cTBS significantly impaired MOT task accuracy relative to baseline for the right (stimulated) hemifield 5-min (10 ± 2% reduction) and 30-min (14 ± 3% reduction) post-stimulation. No impairment occurred within the left (control) hemifield after active cTBS or for either hemifield after sham cTBS. These results highlight the importance of lower level motion processing for MOT, suggesting that a minor disruption of MT+ function alone is sufficient to cause a deficit in MOT performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arijit Chakraborty
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.,Chicago College of Optometry, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois, USA
| | - Tiffany T Tran
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew E Silva
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Deborah Giaschi
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia/B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Benjamin Thompson
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.,Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), Hong Kong, China.,Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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24
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Peters B, Kriegeskorte N. Capturing the objects of vision with neural networks. Nat Hum Behav 2021; 5:1127-1144. [PMID: 34545237 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01194-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Human visual perception carves a scene at its physical joints, decomposing the world into objects, which are selectively attended, tracked and predicted as we engage our surroundings. Object representations emancipate perception from the sensory input, enabling us to keep in mind that which is out of sight and to use perceptual content as a basis for action and symbolic cognition. Human behavioural studies have documented how object representations emerge through grouping, amodal completion, proto-objects and object files. By contrast, deep neural network models of visual object recognition remain largely tethered to sensory input, despite achieving human-level performance at labelling objects. Here, we review related work in both fields and examine how these fields can help each other. The cognitive literature provides a starting point for the development of new experimental tasks that reveal mechanisms of human object perception and serve as benchmarks driving the development of deep neural network models that will put the object into object recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Peters
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Nikolaus Kriegeskorte
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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25
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Pichlmeier S, Pfeiffer T. Attentional capture in multiple object tracking. J Vis 2021; 21:16. [PMID: 34379083 PMCID: PMC8363777 DOI: 10.1167/jov.21.8.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Attentional processes are generally assumed to be involved in multiple object tracking (MOT). The attentional capture paradigm is regularly used to study conditions of attentional control. It has up to now not been used to assess influences of sudden onset distractor stimuli in MOT. We investigated whether attentional capture does occur in MOT: Are onset distractors processed at all in dynamic attentional tasks? We found that sudden onset distractors were effective in lowering probe detection, thus demonstrating attentional capture. Tracking performance as dependent measure was not affected. The attentional capture effect persisted in conditions of higher tracking load (Experiment 2) and was dramatically increased in lower presentation frequency of the onset distractor (Experiment 3). Tracking performance was shown to suffer only when onset distractors were presented serially with very short time gaps in between, thus effectively disturbing re-engaging attention on the tracking set (Experiment 4). We discuss that rapid dis- and re-engagement of the attention process on target objects and an additional more basic process that continuously provides location information allow managing strong disruptions of attention during tracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Pichlmeier
- Institute of Psychology, Karlsruhe University of Education, Karlsruhe, Germany.,
| | - Till Pfeiffer
- Institute of Psychology, Karlsruhe University of Education, Karlsruhe, Germany.,
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26
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Hsin CY, Lo YH, Tseng P. Effect of Non-canonical Spatial Symmetry on Subitizing. Front Psychol 2021; 12:562762. [PMID: 34393867 PMCID: PMC8358310 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.562762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Subitizing refers to ability of people to accurately and effortlessly enumerate a small number of items, with a capacity around four elements. Previous research showed that "canonical" organizations, such as familiar layouts on a dice, can readily improve subitizing performance of people. However, almost all canonical shapes found in the world are also highly symmetrical; therefore, it is unclear whether previously reported facilitative effect of canonical organization is really due to canonicality, or simply driven by spatial symmetry. Here, we investigated the possible effect of symmetry on subitizing by using symmetrical, yet non-canonical, shape structures. These symmetrical layouts were compared with highly controlled random patterns (Experiment 1), as well as fully random and canonical patterns (Experiment 2). Our results showed that symmetry facilitates subitizing performance, but only at set size of 6, suggesting that the effect is insufficient to improve performance of people in the lower or upper range. This was also true, although weaker, in reaction time (RT), error distance measures, and Weber Fractions. On the other hand, canonical layouts produced faster and more accurate subitizing performances across multiple set sizes. We conclude that, although previous findings mixed symmetry in their canonical shapes, their findings on shape canonicality cannot be explained by symmetry alone. We also propose that our symmetrical and canonical results are best explained by the "groupitizing" and pattern recognition accounts, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Yen Hsin
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hui Lo
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Brain and Consciousness Research Center, TMU-Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Philip Tseng
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Brain and Consciousness Research Center, TMU-Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
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27
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Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE This study summarizes the empirical evidence on the use of peripheral vision for the most-researched peripheral vision tools in sports. The objective of this review was to explain if and how the tools can be used to investigate peripheral vision usage and how empirical findings with these vision tools might be transferred to sports situations. The data sources used in this study were Scopus, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. We additionally searched the manufacturers' Web pages and used Google Scholar to find full texts that were not available elsewhere. Studies were included if they were published in a peer-reviewed journal, were written in English language, and were conducted in a sports context. From the 10 searched tools, we included the 5 tools with most published studies. In our topical search, we identified 93 studies for the five most-used peripheral vision tools. Surprisingly, none of these studies used eye-tracking methods to control for the use of peripheral vision. Best "passive" control is achieved by tools using (foveal) secondary tasks (Dynavision D2 and Vienna Test System). Best transfer to sports tasks is expected for tools demanding action responses (FitLight, Dynavision D2). Tools are likely to train peripheral monitoring (NeuroTracker), peripheral reaction time (Dynavision D2, Vienna Test System), or peripheral preview (FitLight), whereas one tool did not show any link to peripheral vision processes (Nike SPARQ Vapor Strobe).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hans Strasburger
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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28
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Crowe EM, Howard CJ, Gilchrist ID, Kent C. Motion disrupts dynamic visual search for an orientation change. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2021; 6:47. [PMID: 34175977 PMCID: PMC8236006 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-021-00312-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual search in dynamic environments, for example lifeguarding or CCTV monitoring, has several fundamentally different properties to standard visual search tasks. The visual environment is constantly moving, a range of items could become targets and the task is to search for a certain event. We developed a novel task in which participants were required to search static and moving displays for an orientation change thus capturing components of visual search, multiple object tracking and change detection paradigms. In Experiment 1, we found that the addition of moving distractors slowed participants' response time to detect an orientation changes in a moving target, showing that the motion of distractors disrupts the rapid detection of orientation changes in a moving target. In Experiment 2 we found that, in displays of both moving and static objects, response time was slower if a moving object underwent a change than if a static object did, thus demonstrating that motion of the target itself also disrupts the detection of an orientation change. Our results could have implications for training in real-world occupations where the task is to search a dynamic environment for a critical event. Moreover, we add to the literature highlighting the need to develop lab-based tasks with high experimental control from any real-world tasks researchers may wish to investigate rather than extrapolating from static visual search tasks to more dynamic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Crowe
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Iain D Gilchrist
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Christopher Kent
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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29
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Pichlmeier S, Pfeiffer T. Adaptive target enhancement determines levels of guidability in Multiple Object Tracking. Vision Res 2021; 183:61-72. [PMID: 33706106 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2021.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Flexible resource models suggest that attentional deployment in Multiple Object Tracking either shows in target enhancement or distractor inhibition or both. In order to gauge the influence of these processes we manipulated distinctiveness of targets and distractors along a single dimension by finely grading gray values of objects. We established that a quantitative increase in distinctiveness results in a quantitative increase in tracking performance thus demonstrating a new finding. Further increases of distinctiveness beyond a certain degree produced no further improvements in tracking. This effect, however, was moderated by levels of task difficulty thus providing evidence for the relativity of this effect. With higher task difficulty higher degrees of distinctiveness still resulted in a significant performance gain (Experiment 1). A follow up experiment generalized this finding. By manipulating speed of objects, a situation with a yet higher task difficulty could be established showing that an increase of an already striking distinctiveness can produce an even further performance gain - provided higher task difficulty (Experiment 2). Finally we tested the hypothesis that target enhancement and distractor inhibition are influenced by feature distinctiveness. Although we found possible indications for distractor inhibition, we could not demonstrate an effect of feature distinctiveness on distractor inhibition. Target enhancement, however, was substantially influenced by variation of feature distinctiveness (Experiment 3).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Pichlmeier
- Institute of Psychology, Karlsruhe University of Education, PO BOX 11 10 62, 76060 Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Till Pfeiffer
- Institute of Psychology, Karlsruhe University of Education, PO BOX 11 10 62, 76060 Karlsruhe, Germany.
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30
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Individual differences in visual attention: A short, reliable, open-source, and multilingual test of multiple object tracking in PsychoPy. Behav Res Methods 2021; 52:2556-2566. [PMID: 32495028 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-020-01413-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in attentional abilities provide an interesting approach in studying visual attention as well as the relation of attention to other psychometric measures. However, recent research has demonstrated that many tasks from experimental research are not suitable for individual differences research, as they fail to capture these differences reliably. Here, we provide a test for individual differences in visual attention which relies on the multiple object tracking task (MOT). This test captures individual differences reliably in 6 to 15 min. Within the task, the participants have to maintain a set of targets (among identical distractors) across an interval of object motion. It captures the efficiency of attentional deployment. Importantly, this test was explicitly designed and tested for reliability under conditions that match those of most laboratory research (restricted sample of students, approximately n = 50). The test is free to use and runs fully under open-source software. In order to facilitate the application of the test, we have translated it into 16 common languages (Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish). The test can be downloaded at https://osf.io/qy6nb/ . We hope that this MOT test supports researchers whose field of study requires capturing individual differences in visual attention reliably.
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31
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Abstract
Multiple-object tracking studies consistently reveal attentive tracking limits of approximately three to five items. How do factors such as visual grouping and ensemble perception impact these capacity limits? Which heuristics lead to the perception of multiple objects as a group? This work investigates the role of grouping on multiple-object tracking ability, and more specifically, in identifying the heuristics that lead to the formation and perception of ensembles within dynamic contexts. First, we show that group tracking limits are approximately four groups of objects and are independent of the number of items that compose the groups. Further, we show that group tracking performance declines as inter-object spacing increases. We also demonstrate the role of group rigidity in tracking performance in that disruptions to common fate negatively impact ensemble tracking ability. The findings from this work contribute to our overall understanding of the perception of dynamic groups of objects. They characterize the properties that determine the formation and perception of dynamic object ensembles. In addition, they inform development and design decisions considering cognitive limitations involving tracking groups of objects.
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32
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Spatial resolution and object segmentation efficiency constrain grouping effects in attentive tracking. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-01277-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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33
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Lesch H, Schoenfeld MA, Merkel C. Functional dissociation of multiple-object tracking mechanisms based on hemispheric asymmetries. Restor Neurol Neurosci 2020; 38:443-453. [PMID: 33325416 DOI: 10.3233/rnn-201048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A number of theoretical accounts have been put forward to explain the ability to simultaneously track multiple visually indistinguishable objects over a period of time. Serial processing models of visual tracking focus on the maintenance of the spatial locations of every single item over time. A more recent mechanism describes multiple object tracking as the ability to maintain a higher order representation of an abstract spatial configuration built by the illusory connection of the tracked items through their transition. OBJECTIVE The current study investigates the correspondence between these serial and parallel tracking accounts and the right hemispheric specialization for the space-based vs. left hemispheric for object-based attentional processing. METHODS Electrophysiological brain responses were recorded in two groups of patients with right- and left hemispheric lesions while performing in a multiple object tracking task. RESULTS The results suggest a failure to distinguish single item information for the right hemispheric patients accompanied by the absence of a known electrophysiological marker associated with single item tracking. Importantly, left hemispheric patients showed a graded behavioral and electrophysiological response to probe stimuli as a function of the congruence of the probe with the relevant target stimuli. CONCLUSIONS The current data suggest that the differential contribution of serial and parallel tracking mechanisms during object tracking can partly be explained by the different functional contributions of the right and left brain hemispheres.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mircea Ariel Schoenfeld
- Kliniken Schmieder, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department of Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christian Merkel
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
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Hu L, Wang C, Talhelm T, Zhang X. Distinguishing the neural mechanism of attentional control and working memory in feature-based attentive tracking. Psychophysiology 2020; 58:e13726. [PMID: 33278041 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Surface features are an important component in attentive tracking. However, the neural mechanisms underlying how features affect attentive tracking remain unknown. The present fMRI study addressed this issue by manipulating the intragroup feature complexity and intergroup feature similarity. In particular, this study distinguished the different neural mechanisms of intragroup feature complexity and intergroup feature similarity by investigating the roles of attentional control and working memory in dynamic feature-based attentive tracking. Behavioral and neuroimaging evidence showed that when targets are distinct from distractors, the intragroup feature complexity of the targets, rather than that of the distractors, mainly increases the visual working memory load and significantly activates the frontoparietal cortical circuit. Thus, the involvement of working memory in feature-based attentive tracking is modulated by goal-directed attention control. In addition, when targets are similar to distractors, the intergroup feature similarity (i.e., target-distractor similarity) mainly affects the allocation of attention. Specifically, target-distractor similarity affects the goal-directed attention toward the targets in a stimulus-driven way and induces an interaction between the ventral and dorsal attention networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luming Hu
- Department of Psychology and Research Centre of Aeronautic Psychology and Behavior, Beihang University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chundi Wang
- Department of Psychology and Research Centre of Aeronautic Psychology and Behavior, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Thomas Talhelm
- Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Xuemin Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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35
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Hierarchical structure is employed by humans during visual motion perception. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:24581-24589. [PMID: 32938799 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008961117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the real world, complex dynamic scenes often arise from the composition of simpler parts. The visual system exploits this structure by hierarchically decomposing dynamic scenes: When we see a person walking on a train or an animal running in a herd, we recognize the individual's movement as nested within a reference frame that is, itself, moving. Despite its ubiquity, surprisingly little is understood about the computations underlying hierarchical motion perception. To address this gap, we developed a class of stimuli that grant tight control over statistical relations among object velocities in dynamic scenes. We first demonstrate that structured motion stimuli benefit human multiple object tracking performance. Computational analysis revealed that the performance gain is best explained by human participants making use of motion relations during tracking. A second experiment, using a motion prediction task, reinforced this conclusion and provided fine-grained information about how the visual system flexibly exploits motion structure.
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36
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Upadhyayula A, Flombaum J. A model that adopts human fixations explains individual differences in multiple object tracking. Cognition 2020; 205:104418. [PMID: 32838957 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In many settings "keep your eye on the ball" is good advice. People fixate important objects to obtain high quality information. Perhaps equally often, however, we engage with multiple important, moving, and unpredictable objects. Where should we fixate in these situations, and where do we? Do we for example appropriately center fixations to manage spatial non-uniformity in our visual system? And do we fixate empty space strategically to gain as much information as possible about multiple objects of interest? We explored these issues in the context of Multiple Object Tracking (MOT), wherein observers track several moving objects (targets) within a larger set of moving objects (nontargets), all the objects physically indistinguishable from one another. Among the features that make MOT an interesting paradigm is that it cannot be accommodated by continuous gaze to one important object, because there are multiple such objects in a given trial. Instead, it demands sustained processing of inputs from an entire display and iterated inferences about target versus nontarget identities. MOT therefore demands a strategic interaction between eye movements and cognition: the observer should seek fixation locations that minimize the aggregate probability of confusing any target with any nontarget. Individuals who meet this fixation challenge should perform the task better than those who meet the challenge less effectively. Here we describe a probabilistic model that implements the basic computations needed to do MOT, estimating the positions of targets, predicting their future positions, and inferring correspondences between new inputs and represented targets. The quality of the input received by the model depends on its fixation location at a given moment. We simulated a group of fifty participants who all performed the same MOT trials, with the model adopting each observer's fixation locations in the respective simulations. The model reliably predicted individual participant tracking performances and their relative rankings within the cohort. The results suggest that an individual's relative capability in this cognitively demanding task is in part determined by his/her utilization of eye fixations to control the quality and relevance of incoming visual input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Upadhyayula
- Johns Hopkins University, Psychological & Brain Sciences, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Flombaum
- Johns Hopkins University, Psychological & Brain Sciences, United States of America.
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37
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Oscillatory Bursts in Parietal Cortex Reflect Dynamic Attention between Multiple Objects and Ensembles. J Neurosci 2020; 40:6927-6937. [PMID: 32753515 PMCID: PMC7470925 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0231-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The visual system uses two complimentary strategies to process multiple objects simultaneously within a scene and update their spatial positions in real time. It either uses selective attention to individuate a complex, dynamic scene into a few focal objects (i.e., object individuation), or it represents multiple objects as an ensemble by distributing attention more globally across the scene (i.e., ensemble grouping). Neural oscillations may be a key signature for focal object individuation versus distributed ensemble grouping, because they are thought to regulate neural excitability over visual areas through inhibitory control mechanisms. We recorded whole-head MEG data during a multiple-object tracking paradigm, in which human participants (13 female, 11 male) switched between different instructions for object individuation and ensemble grouping on different trials. The stimuli, responses, and the demand to keep track of multiple spatial locations over time were held constant between the two conditions. We observed increased α-band power (9-13 Hz) packed into oscillatory bursts in bilateral inferior parietal cortex during multiple-object processing. Single-trial analysis revealed greater burst occurrences on object individuation versus ensemble grouping trials. By contrast, we found no differences using standard analyses on across-trials averaged α-band power. Moreover, the bursting effects occurred only below/at, but not above, the typical capacity limits for multiple-object processing (at ∼4 objects). Our findings reveal the real-time neural correlates underlying the dynamic processing of multiple-object scenarios, which are modulated by grouping strategies and capacity. They support a rhythmic, α-pulsed organization of dynamic attention to multiple objects and ensembles.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Dynamic multiple-object scenarios are an important problem in real-world and computer vision. They require keeping track of multiple objects as they move through space and time. Such problems can be solved in two ways: One can individuate a scene object by object, or alternatively group objects into ensembles. We observed greater occurrences of α-oscillatory burst events in parietal cortex for processing objects versus ensembles and below/at versus above processing capacity. These results demonstrate a unique top-down mechanism by which the brain dynamically adjusts its computational level between objects and ensembles. They help to explain how the brain copes with its capacity limitations in real-time environments and may lead the way to technological innovations for time-critical video analysis in computer vision.
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38
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Blankenship TL, Strong RW, Kibbe MM. Development of multiple object tracking via multifocal attention. Dev Psychol 2020; 56:1684-1695. [PMID: 32614210 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Multifocal attention is the ability to simultaneously attend to multiple objects, and is critical for typical functioning. Although adults are able to use multifocal attention, little is known about the development of this ability. In two experiments, we investigated multifocal attention in 6-8-year-old children and adults using a child-friendly, computerized multiple object tracking task designed to encourage the use of multifocal attention. We also investigated whether multifocal attention in children is deployed independently across left and right hemifields of vision, as in adults. Our results suggest that children's capacity for multifocal attention increases significantly across middle childhood. We also found evidence that at least one signature of hemifield-independent multifocal attention, the bilateral field advantage, can be observed in children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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39
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Individual differences in multiple object tracking, attentional cueing, and age account for variability in the capacity of audiovisual integration. Atten Percept Psychophys 2020; 82:3521-3543. [PMID: 32529573 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-020-02062-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
There has been a recent increase in individual differences research within the field of audiovisual perception (Spence & Squire, 2003, Current Biology, 13(13), R519-R521), and furthering the understanding of audiovisual integration capacity with an individual differences approach is an important facet within this line of research. Across four experiments, participants were asked to complete an audiovisual integration capacity task (cf. Van der Burg, Awh, & Olivers, 2013, Psychological Science, 24(3), 345-351; Wilbiks & Dyson, 2016, PLOS ONE 11(12), e0168304; 2018, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 44(6), 871-884), along with differing combinations of additional perceptual tasks. Experiment 1 employed a multiple object tracking task and a visual working memory task. Experiment 2 compared performance on the capacity task with that of the Attention Network Test. Experiment 3 examined participants' focus in space through a Navon task and vigilance through time. Having completed this exploratory work, in Experiment 4 we collected data again from the tasks that were found to correlate significantly across the first three experiments and entered them into a regression model to predict capacity. The current research provides a preliminary explanation of the vast individual differences seen in audiovisual integration capacity in previous research, showing that by considering an individual's multiple object tracking span, focus in space, and attentional factors, we can account for up to 34.3% of the observed variation in capacity. Future research should seek to examine higher-level differences between individuals that may contribute to audiovisual integration capacity, including neurodevelopmental and mental health differences.
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40
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Harris DJ, Wilson MR, Crowe EM, Vine SJ. Examining the roles of working memory and visual attention in multiple object tracking expertise. Cogn Process 2020; 21:209-222. [PMID: 32016685 PMCID: PMC7203592 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-020-00954-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
When tracking multiple moving targets among visually similar distractors, human observers are capable of distributing attention over several spatial locations. It is unclear, however, whether capacity limitations or perceptual-cognitive abilities are responsible for the development of expertise in multiple object tracking. Across two experiments, we examined the role of working memory and visual attention in tracking expertise. In Experiment 1, individuals who regularly engaged in object tracking sports (soccer and rugby) displayed improved tracking performance, relative to non-tracking sports (swimming, rowing, running) (p = 0.02, ηp2 = 0.163), but no differences in gaze strategy (ps > 0.31). In Experiment 2, participants trained on an adaptive object tracking task showed improved tracking performance (p = 0.005, d = 0.817), but no changes in gaze strategy (ps > 0.07). They did, however, show significant improvement in a working memory transfer task (p < 0.001, d = 0.970). These findings indicate that the development of tracking expertise is more closely linked to processing capacity limits than perceptual-cognitive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Harris
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU UK
| | - Mark R. Wilson
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU UK
| | - Emily M. Crowe
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Samuel J. Vine
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU UK
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41
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Liang T, Cheng Z, Hu W, Ye C, Zhang J, Liu Q. Limitations of concurrently representing objects within view and in visual working memory. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5351. [PMID: 32210299 PMCID: PMC7093397 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62164-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Representing visibly present stimuli is as limited in capacity as representing invisible stimuli in visual working memory (WM). In this study, we explored whether concurrently representing stimuli within view affects representing objects in visual WM, and if so, whether this effect is modulated by the storage states (active and silent state) of memory contents? In experiment 1, participants were asked to perform the change-detect task in a simultaneous-representing condition in which WM content and the continuously-visible stimuli in view were simultaneously represented, as well as a baseline condition in which only the representations of visual WM content were maintained. The results showed that the representations in visual WM would be impaired when the continuously-visible stimuli in view were concurrently represented, revealed by the reduced CDA amplitude and the lower behavior performance. In experiment 2, a dual-serial retro-cue paradigm was adopted to guide participants to maintain memory items in two different storage states, and the results revealed that simultaneously representing the continuously-visible stimuli and the WM content would only impair the WM representations in the active state. These evidences demonstrated that only the visual WM representations that were maintained in the active state would definitely share the limited resources with the representations of continuously-visible information, and further supported the dissociation between the active state and silent state of visual WM storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengfei Liang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610000, China
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029, China
| | - Zijian Cheng
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029, China
| | - Wenjing Hu
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029, China
| | - Chaoxiong Ye
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610000, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
| | - Jiafeng Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610000, China.
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029, China.
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42
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Yang MM, Chen W, Wang Y. What explains managers’ escalating behaviors in a failing NPD project? The impact of managerial perceptions of opportunities and threats in a stage-gate process. JOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00472778.2020.1719297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miles M. Yang
- Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Wansi Chen
- School of Business, East China University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University, Australia
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43
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Adamian N, Andersen SK, Hillyard SA. Parallel attentional facilitation of features and objects in early visual cortex. Psychophysiology 2019; 57:e13498. [PMID: 31691314 PMCID: PMC7027440 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Selective attention can enhance the processing of attended features across the entire visual field. Attention also spreads within objects, enhancing all internal locations and task-irrelevant features of selected objects. Here, we examine the extent to which attentional enhancement of a feature spreads across attended and unattended objects. Two fully overlapping counter-rotating bicolored surfaces of light and dark random dots were presented on a gray background of intermediate luminance. This stimulus creates a percept of two separate semitransparent surfaces and allows the measurement of feature- and object-based selections while controlling spatial attention. On each trial, human participants attended to a subset of dots defined by feature (luminance polarity) and object (surface) in order to detect brief episodes of radial motion while ignoring any events in the unattended groups of dots. Attentional selection was assessed by means of steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) and behavioral measures. SSVEP amplitudes recorded at medial occipital electrode sites were modulated both by surface-based and luminance polarity-based selection in a manner consistent with independent multiplicative enhancement of attentional effects in different dimensions in early visual cortex. This finding supports the view that feature-based attention spreads across object boundaries, at least at an early stage of processing. However, SSVEPs elicited at more lateral electrode sites showed a hierarchical pattern of selection, potentially reflecting the binding of surface-defining features with luminance features to enable surface-based attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nika Adamian
- School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | | | - Steven A Hillyard
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, California.,Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
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44
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Eayrs JO, Lavie N. Individual differences in parietal and frontal cortex structure predict dissociable capacities for perception and cognitive control. Neuroimage 2019; 202:116148. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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45
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Barnas AJ, Greenberg AS. Object-based attention shifts are driven by target location, not object placement. VISUAL COGNITION 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/13506285.2019.1680587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Barnas
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Adam S. Greenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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46
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Abstract
Zusammenfassung. Die periphere Wahrnehmung im Sport ist eine theoretische wie methodische Herausforderung. Während die bisher in der Literatur diskutierten Funktionalitäten des gleichzeitigen peripheren Monitorings mehrerer Objekte, der Detektion von peripheren Bewegungsveränderungen und der peripheren Preview-Funktion zur Planung von Blicksprüngen gut begründet scheinen, fehlte bislang deren eindeutiger empirischer Nachweis. Mit Hilfe des Multiple-Objekt-Tracking-Paradigmas konnten die beiden erstgenannten Funktionalitäten empirisch untermauert und in diesem Zuge zu berücksichtigende visuelle und aufmerksamkeitsbedingte Randbedingungen bestimmt werden. In einem weiteren Schritt wurden die neu eingeführten Begriffe Anker, Pivot und Spot mit den gefundenen Funktionalitäten in Beziehung gesetzt. Abschließend wurden konkrete Vorhersagen für sportspezifische Untersuchungen formuliert, um die so umschriebenen Funktionalitäten empirisch zu überprüfen. Die Ergebnisse solcher Untersuchungen werden zeigen, inwieweit sich die grundlagenwissenschaftlichen Befunde auf Belange des Sports transferieren lassen. Für die Sportpraxis könnte es dabei ein wichtiges Ziel sein, ein funktional begründetes Blick- und Aufmerksamkeitstraining zu integrieren, um das volle Potenzial der peripheren Wahrnehmung auszuschöpfen.
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47
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Vater C. How selective attention affects the detection of motion changes with peripheral vision in MOT. Heliyon 2019; 5:e02282. [PMID: 31463394 PMCID: PMC6706584 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In sports, peripheral vision is expected to play an important role in tasks that demand distributed attention and motion-change detection. By using the Multiple-Object-Tracking (MOT) task, these demands were simulated in a well-controlled laboratory environment. Participants tracked four target out of ten moving objects (6 distractors) and pressed a button when one of the ten objects stopped. Detection rates for tracked targets were compared to detection rates of non-tracked distractors at eccentricities between 5° and 25°. The study's aim was to test how the location of attention affects peripheral motion detection. The results show a large attention effect because target stops were detected in 89 % and distractor stops only in 55 % of the trials. Distractor stops were more likely detected when they occurred closer to the fovea while target stops were detected at all eccentricities. That means, orienting attention at target objects facilitates the peripheral detection of their motion changes in monitoring tasks. Having distractors closer to the fovea increases the chance to also detect motion changes of unattended objects. On a theoretical level, results support a tracking mechanism with object-based attention, serial covert attention shifts and flexible but limited attentional resources. On a practical level, sports' experts should use their extensive knowledge to locate attention on most-relevant objects and reduce the eccentricity to other objects to detect motion changes of attended and unattended objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Vater
- University of Bern, Institute of Sport Science, Bern, Switzerland
- University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Australia
- Corresponding author.
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48
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Eye Behavior During Multiple Object Tracking and Multiple Identity Tracking. Vision (Basel) 2019; 3:vision3030037. [PMID: 31735838 PMCID: PMC6802796 DOI: 10.3390/vision3030037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We review all published eye-tracking studies to date that have used eye movements to examine multiple object (MOT) or multiple identity tracking (MIT). In both tasks, observers dynamically track multiple moving objects. In MOT the objects are identical, whereas in MIT they have distinct identities. In MOT, observers prefer to fixate on blank space, which is often the center of gravity formed by the moving targets (centroid). In contrast, in MIT observers have a strong preference for the target-switching strategy, presumably to refresh and maintain identity-location bindings for the targets. To account for the qualitative differences between MOT and MIT, two mechanisms have been posited, a position tracking (MOT) and an identity tracking (MOT & MIT) mechanism. Eye-tracking studies of MOT have also demonstrated that observers execute rescue saccades toward targets in danger of becoming occluded or are about to change direction after a collision. Crowding attracts the eyes close to it in order to increase visual acuity for the crowded objects to prevent target loss. It is suggested that future studies should concentrate more on MIT, as MIT more closely resembles tracking in the real world.
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49
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Cheng C, Kaldy Z, Blaser E. Two-year-olds succeed at MIT: Multiple identity tracking in 20- and 25-month-old infants. J Exp Child Psychol 2019; 187:104649. [PMID: 31352226 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Infants' ability to remember objects and their locations emerges during the first year of life. However, not much is known about infants' ability to track objects' identities in a dynamic environment. Here, we tailored the delayed match retrieval eye-tracking paradigm to study infants' ability to track two object identities during occlusion-an infant version of multiple identity tracking (MIT). Delayed match retrieval uses virtual "cards" as stimuli that are first shown face up, exposing to-be-remembered information, and then turned face down, occluding it. Here, cards were subject to movement during the face-down occlusion period. We used complex non-nameable objects as card faces to discourage verbal rehearsal. In three experiments (N = 110), we compared infants' ability to track object identities when two previously exposed cards were static (Experiment 1), were moved into new positions along the same trajectory (Experiment 2), or were moved along different trajectories (Experiment 3) while face down. We found that 20-month-olds could remember two object identities when static; however, it was not until 25 months of age that infants could track when movement was introduced. Our results show that the ability to track multiple identities in visual working memory is present by 25 months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Cheng
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA.
| | - Zsuzsa Kaldy
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Erik Blaser
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
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Crowe EM, Howard CJ, Attwood AS, Kent C. Goal-directed unequal attention allocation during multiple object tracking. Atten Percept Psychophys 2019; 81:1312-1326. [PMID: 30761503 PMCID: PMC6647460 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-019-01674-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In standard multiple object tracking (MOT) tasks the relative importance of the targets being tracked is equal. This is atypical of everyday situations in which an individual may need to prioritize one target relative to another and so allocate attention unequally. We report three experiments that examined whether participants could unequally split attention using a modified MOT task in which target priority was manipulated. Specifically, we examined the effect of priority on participants' magnitude of error and used a distribution mixture analysis to investigate how priority affected both participants' probability of losing an item and tracking precision. Experiment 1 (trajectory tracking) revealed a higher magnitude of error and higher proportion of guessing for low- compared with high-priority targets. Experiments 2 (trajectory tracking) and 3 (position tracking) examined how fine-grained this ability is by manipulating target priority at finer increments. In line with Experiment 1, results from both these experiments indicated that participants could split attention unequally. There was some evidence that participants could allocate attention unequally at fine increments, but this was less conclusive. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate participants' ability to distribute attention unequally across multiple moving objects but suggest some limitation with the flexibility of attention allocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Crowe
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TU, UK.
| | | | - Angela S Attwood
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TU, UK
| | - Christopher Kent
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TU, UK
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