Abstract
When a highly salient distractor is present in a search array, it speeds target absent visual search and increases errors during target present visual search, suggesting lowered quitting thresholds (Moher in Psychol Sci 31(1):31–42, 2020). Missing a critical target in the presence of a highly salient distractor can have dire consequences in real-world search tasks where accurate target detection is crucial, such as baggage screening. As such, the current study examined whether emphasizing either accuracy or speed would eliminate the distractor-generated quitting threshold effect (QTE). Three blocks of a target detection search task which included a highly salient distractor on half of all trials were used. In one block, participants received no instructions or feedback regarding performance. In the remaining two blocks, they received instructions and trial-by-trial feedback that either emphasized response speed or response accuracy. Overall, the distractor lowered quitting thresholds, regardless of whether response speed or response accuracy was emphasized in a block of trials. However, the effect of the distractor on target misses was smaller when accuracy was emphasized. It, therefore, appears that while the distractor QTE is not easily eradicated by explicit instructions and feedback, it can be shifted. As such, future research should examine the applicability of these and similar strategies in real-world search scenarios.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 63 |
Journal | Cognitive research: principles and implications |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 10 Oct 2023 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2023 |
Bibliographical note
AcknowledgementsThis research project was initially presented at the 2023 Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference (Lawrence et al., 2023c April 12–14). The authors would like to acknowledge the feedback and insights provided by Professor Allison Waters throughout the conceptualization and execution of this project.
Funding
This research was supported by a Griffith University New Researcher Grant awarded to RKL.
Keywords
- Distraction
- Quitting thresholds
- Visual search
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Data from Emphasizing responder speed or accuracy modulates but does not abolish the distractor-induced quitting effect in visual search
Lawrence, R. K. (Creator), Cochrane, B. (Creator), Howard, Z. (Creator) & Lui, L. F. K. (Creator), University of Aberdeen, 10 Oct 2023
DOI: 10.1186/s41235-023-00516-8, https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1186%2Fs41235-023-00516-8/MediaObjects/41235_2023_516_MOESM1_ESM.docx
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