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The spatial resolution of visual attention.

J Intriligator¹, P Cavanagh

¹Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.

Cognitive Psychology

|November 2, 2001

Summary

Visual attention has a coarse grain, meaning items must be spaced apart for selection. This spatial resolution limit is independent of attention capacity and is coarser radially and in the upper visual field.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Visual Perception

Background:

Visual attention allows selection of individual items from a display.
Understanding the spatial limits of attention is crucial for visual processing.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the spatial resolution, or "grain," of visual attention.
To determine the minimum spacing required for attentional selection of items.
To investigate factors influencing this spatial resolution.

Main Methods:

Observers performed visual tracking tasks at various viewing distances.
The closest spacing for item individuation in static displays was examined.
Measurements were taken in radial and tangential directions, and across visual fields.

Main Results:

Tracking failed when displays subtended <1 degree, indicating items were visible but not individually selectable.
Critical spacing was coarser radially (50% coarser) and in the upper visual field.
Suggests a limit of ~60 items in the central 30 degrees for individual attentional access.

Conclusions:

Attentional selection has a coarse grain, significantly coarser than visual resolution.
The parietal area is a likely locus for this spatial selection mechanism.
Attention selects by spatial coordinates rather than item representation.

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