Exaggerated prevalence effect with the explicit prevalence information: The description-experience gap in visual...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Visual Perception

Background:

• Target prevalence significantly influences visual search performance.
• Communication of probabilistic information can affect decision-making.
• Limited research exists on how prevalence communication impacts visual search.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of explicit versus experienced-based learning of target prevalence on visual search.
• To examine the influence of target reward and salience alongside prevalence communication.
• To understand how different communication methods affect search strategies and efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed visual search tasks with varying target prevalence.
• Prevalence information was communicated either explicitly or learned through experience.
• Eye-tracking technology was used to monitor search patterns and fixation durations.
• Target reward and salience were manipulated as additional factors.

Main Results:

• Learning prevalence through experience at low prevalence led to more false alarms and increased search time.
• Explicit information reduced errors and search time in low prevalence conditions.
• These effects diminished with increasing prevalence and reversed in high prevalence conditions.
• Eye-tracking revealed longer fixation durations and more revisited items when learning through experience, particularly in low prevalence scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The method of communicating target prevalence critically influences visual search behavior.
• Experience-based learning can lead to suboptimal search strategies, especially with low target prevalence.
• Future research should consider the impact of probability communication methods in visual search studies.