Time pressure and reward value's influence on visual search performance and behavior: an eye-tracking VR study

Visual search is shaped by both stress-inducing and motivational factors. Time pressure, a common stressor, can impair performance by prompting hurried search strategies, whereas reward value, a motivator, may enhance performance and efficiency. Although their individual effects are well-established, their joint influence on search performance and behavior is not yet clear-specifically, whether reward value can counteract the performance costs incurred by time pressure, enabling fast yet accurate searches. Moreover, little is known on whether time pressure and reward value exert distinct effects on the two processing components of visual search: target acquisition and target verification. The present eye-tracking study examines: (1) how time pressure and reward value influence search performance and behavior, and (2) whether reward value can counteract the adverse effects of time pressure on performance. Forty participants searched for target objects in a virtual living room under various time pressure and reward value conditions. As expected, time pressure reduced accuracy. However, it incurred longer target acquisition but shorter verification times. In contrast, reward value enhanced target acquisition efficiency and accuracy. It particularly improved accuracy and reduced search time under time pressure, suggesting a mitigating role against the performance decrements incurred by time pressure. Overall, the findings show that time pressure and reward value exert distinct effects on target acquisition and verification, yet their interaction influences performance.