Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 8, 2025

Simultaneous Eye Tracking and Single-Neuron Recordings in Human Epilepsy Patients
Published on: June 17, 2019
I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE: WHAT VISUAL SEARCH CAN TELL US ABOUT HOW WE SEE THE WORLD
Allison Joanna Lewis1, Isabella Noel Nemer1, Jay Hegdé2,3
1Department of Biology, College of Science and Mathematics, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States.
Abstract:
We have all have experienced the frustration of looking for something we want, only to find a seemingly endless series of things we do not want. This process of looking for an object of interest is called visual search. We perform visual search all the time in everyday life, because the objects we want are almost always surrounded by many other objects. But, in some cases, it takes special training to find things, such as when searching for cancers in X-rays, weapons or explosives in airport luggage, or an enemy sniper hidden in the bushes. Understanding how we search for, and find, objects we are looking for is crucial to understanding how ordinary people and experts alike operate in the real world. While much remains to be discovered, what we have learned so far offers a fascinating window into how we see.
Related Concept Videos
Visual System
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
Vision
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Parallel Processing
Gestalt Principles of Perception
Color Vision

