Feature distribution learning by passive exposure.
Feature distribution learning
Passive viewing
Pop-out search
Visual search
Journal
Cognition
ISSN: 1873-7838
Titre abrégé: Cognition
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 0367541
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
10 2022
10 2022
Historique:
received:
04
11
2021
revised:
20
06
2022
accepted:
21
06
2022
pubmed:
6
7
2022
medline:
4
8
2022
entrez:
5
7
2022
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Humans can rapidly estimate the statistical properties of groups of stimuli, including their average and variability. But recent studies of so-called Feature Distribution Learning (FDL) have shown that observers can quickly learn even more complex aspects of feature distributions. In FDL, observers learn the full shape of a distribution of features in a set of distractor stimuli and use this information to improve visual search: response times (RT) are slowed if the target feature lies inside the previous distractor distribution, and the RT patterns closely reflect the distribution shape. FDL requires only a few trials and is markedly sensitive to different distribution types. It is unknown, however, whether our perceptual system encodes feature distributions automatically and by passive exposure, or whether this learning requires active engagement with the stimuli. In two experiments, we sought to answer this question. During an initial exposure stage, participants passively viewed a display of 36 lines that included one orientation singleton or no singletons. In the following search display, they had to find an oddly oriented target. The orientations of the lines were determined either by a Gaussian or a uniform distribution. We found evidence for FDL only when the passive trials contained an orientation singleton. Under these conditions, RT's decreased as a function of the orientation distance between the target and the mean of the exposed distractor distribution. These results suggest that passive exposure to a distribution of visual features can affect subsequent search performance, but only if a singleton appears during exposure to the distribution.
Identifiants
pubmed: 35785655
pii: S0010-0277(22)00199-8
doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105211
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
105211Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.