Selection difficulty and interitem competition are independent factors in rapid visual stream perception

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Visual Perception

Background:

• Rapid visual streams present unique challenges for target identification.
• Previous research (Potter et al., 2002) proposed a 2-stage competition theory for target processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of preceding items on target accuracy in rapid visual streams.
• To test the robustness of the 2-stage competition theory under varying lead-in conditions.

Main Methods:

• Five experiments were conducted manipulating items preceding the first target in rapid visual streams.
• Target accuracy was measured at different intertarget lags and presentation rates.

Main Results:

• A significant "1st-target deficit" was observed when streams were presented rapidly (50 ms/item).
• Items preceding the first target strongly modulated the 1st-target deficit.
• The accuracy of the second target was minimally affected by the preceding items.

Conclusions:

• The findings provide strong support for multiple factors influencing target accuracy in rapid visual streams.
• The results challenge a purely resource-limited 2-stage model and suggest additional influences on initial target processing.