Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Color Vision

Color Vision

Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.

Visual Agnosia

Visual Agnosia

Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round end"...

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

Visual System

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

Factors Affecting Perception

Factors Affecting Perception

Perception is influenced by perceptual set, context, motivation, and emotion. Perceptual set, or perceptual expectancy, refers to the tendency to perceive things in a particular way, influenced by previous experiences and expectations. This phenomenon affects the interpretation of stimuli, creating a set of mental tendencies and assumptions that impact sensory perceptions of sound, taste, touch, and sight.
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Multitarget Visual Search Flexibly Switches Between Concurrent and Sequential Search Modes.

Psychological science·2026

Same author

Spatial Learning in Naturalistic Search With Simulated Vision Loss.

Translational vision science & technology·2026

Same author

Serial dependence is stronger for peripheral than for central vision.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2026

Same author

Eccentricity determines the competition for attention.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2025

Same author

Selective attention and eccentricity: A comprehensive review.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2025

Same author

Distinguishing a central selection bias from a central fixation bias: The role of retinal eccentricity in visual selection.

Vision research·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Published on: March 18, 2019

Long-term visual associations affect attentional guidance.

Christian N L Olivers¹

¹VU University Amsterdam, Cognitive Psychology, Van der Boechorststrassse 1, Amsterdam, Netherlands. CNL.Olivers@psy.vu.nl

Acta Psychologica

|August 3, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Long-term memory associations automatically guide attention, even when irrelevant. This study shows that learned color associations with traffic signs inadvertently influenced visual search performance.

More Related Videos

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

Published on: April 11, 2025

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation

Published on: March 25, 2011

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Published on: March 18, 2019

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

Published on: April 11, 2025

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation

Published on: March 25, 2011

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Visual Perception
Neuroscience

Background:

Visual search tasks rely on attentional sets to identify targets.
Long-term memory associations can influence cognitive processes.
The automaticity of memory-driven attentional guidance is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how long-term visual memory associations impact attentional set formation during visual search.
To determine if learned color associations with familiar objects can lead to unintentional attentional capture.

Main Methods:

Participants performed a visual search task for grayscale traffic signs.
Distractor signs were presented in full color, either related or unrelated to the target sign's typical color.
Search performance was measured by response time and accuracy.

Main Results:

Distractor signs with colors associated with the target sign (e.g., red for a stop sign) significantly interfered with search.
This interference occurred even though color was irrelevant to the search task.
Results indicate inadvertent attentional guidance driven by learned color associations.

Conclusions:

Long-term memory representations automatically influence attentional orienting.
Learned associations between objects and their typical colors can override task-relevant information.
This highlights the pervasive influence of memory on perception and attention.