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Perceptual encoding efficiency in visual search.

Robert Rauschenberger·Steven Yantis
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Abstract

The authors present 10 experiments that challenge some central assumptions of the dominant theories of visual search. Their results reveal that the complexity (or redundancy) of nontarget items is a crucial but overlooked determinant of search efficiency. The authors offer a new theoretical outline that emphasizes the importance of nontarget encoding efficiency, and they test this proposal using dot pattern stimuli adapted from W. R. Garner and D. E. Clement (1963). The results provide converging support for the importance of nontarget encoding efficiency in accounting for visual search performance.

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AttentionDiscrimination LearningEfficiencyHumansMemory, Short-TermOrientationPattern Recognition, VisualPsychological TheoryPsychophysicsJournal ArticleResearch Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

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Robert Rauschenberger, Steven Yantis. 2006. Perceptual encoding efficiency in visual search.. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.135.1.116

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