Object appearance is not integrated with scene viewpoint in long-term memory
Journal of Vision, 2010
Abstract Recently, there has been much debate about whether scene memory is detailed or abstract.... more Abstract Recently, there has been much debate about whether scene memory is detailed or abstract. Previous work has demonstrated that visual long-term memory (VLTM) can store detailed information about object appearance and information about scene-level viewpoint. However, it is not known whether these two types of information are integrated within episodic representations of scenes as they were viewed. In the current experiments participants studied a series of pictures, some of which were different viewpoints of the ...
Previous research demonstrates that implicitly learned probability information can guide visual a... more Previous research demonstrates that implicitly learned probability information can guide visual attention. We examined whether the probability of an object changing can be implicitly learned and then used to improve change detection performance. In a series of six experiments, participants completed 120-130 training change detection trials. In four of the experiments the object that changed color was the same shape (trained shape) on every trial. Participants were not explicitly aware of this change probability manipulation and change detection performance was not improved for the trained shape versus untrained shapes. In two of the experiments, the object that changed color was always in the same general location (trained location). Although participants were not explicitly aware of the change probability, implicit knowledge of it did improve change detection performance in the trained location. These results indicate that improved change detection performance through implicitly learned change probability occurs for location but not shape.
Comparison and representation failures both cause real-world change blindness
Perception, 2007
Change blindness (CB) occurs when people miss changes across views. Hypothetically, CB would occu... more Change blindness (CB) occurs when people miss changes across views. Hypothetically, CB would occur if observers failed to represent information about the changing object, but CB would also occur if observers represented and failed to compare information across views, or represented only the pre- or post-change object. For a variety of reasons, previous studies have been unable to determine which of these alternatives contribute to CB in an incidental real-world setting. To address these ambiguities, we conducted two real-world experiments using stimuli that changed on only one feature and tested recognition memory for both the changing feature and a non-changing feature. Participants also provided confidence ratings on recognition responses, allowing us to test whether CB has multiple causes within a single task setting. The results suggest that, in a single real-world setting, CB can be caused by both a failure to represent and a failure to compare information across views.
Past research has repeatedly documented the close relationship between visual attention and aware... more Past research has repeatedly documented the close relationship between visual attention and awareness. Most recently, research exploring change blindness, inattentional blindness, repetition blindness, and the attentional blink has converged on the conclusion that attention to one aspect of a scene or event may lead to a highly circumscribed awareness of only the specific information attended, while other information, even that which is spatially or temporally nearby can go completely unnoticed. In the present report, we extend these observations to the dynamic allocation of attention during a wellstructured meaningful event. In two experiments, subjects viewed brief videos of simple events and were told to pay close attention to them. During the events, an unexpected disruption consisting of a brief low spatial frequency motion field occurred. Despite intensive questioning and opportunities for recognition, the majority of subjects reported no awareness of 200, 400, or 600 ms disruptions. In a second experiment, blank-screen disruptions were added, and these resulted in no increase in detection. We conclude that visual attention may result in far more transitory awareness of visual information than previously appreciated.
Although much research has focused on emerging understandings of representation and mind, very li... more Although much research has focused on emerging understandings of representation and mind, very little research has explored the adult understanding of different representational systems.
Change blindness is often taken as evidence that visual representations are impoverished, while s... more Change blindness is often taken as evidence that visual representations are impoverished, while successful recognition of specific objects is taken as evidence that they are richly detailed. In the current experiments, participants performed cover tasks that required each object in a display to be attended. Change detection trials were unexpectedly introduced and surprise recognition tests were given for nonchanging displays. For both change detection and recognition, participants had to distinguish objects from the same basic-level category, making it likely that specific visual information had to be used for successful performance. Although recognition was above chance, incidental change detection usually remained at floor. These results help reconcile demonstrations of poor change detection with demonstrations of good memory because they suggest that the capability to store visual information in memory is not reflected by the visual system's tendency to utilize these representations for purposes of detecting unexpected changes.
The current experiments examined the hypothesis that scene structure affects time perception. In ... more The current experiments examined the hypothesis that scene structure affects time perception. In three experiments, participants judged the duration of realistic scenes that were presented in a normal or jumbled (i.e. incoherent) format. Experiment 1 demonstrated that the subjective duration of normal scenes was greater than subjective duration of jumbled scenes. In Experiment 2, gridlines were added to both normal and jumbled scenes to control for the number of line terminators, and scene structure had no effect. In Experiment 3, participants performed a secondary task that required paying attention to scene structure, and scene structure's effect on duration judgments reemerged. These findings are consistent with the idea that perceived duration can depend on visual-cognitive processing, which in turn depends on both the nature of the stimulus and the goals of the observer.
Object appearance is not integrated with scene viewpoint in long-term memory
Journal of Vision, 2010
Abstract Recently, there has been much debate about whether scene memory is detailed or abstract.... more Abstract Recently, there has been much debate about whether scene memory is detailed or abstract. Previous work has demonstrated that visual long-term memory (VLTM) can store detailed information about object appearance and information about scene-level viewpoint. However, it is not known whether these two types of information are integrated within episodic representations of scenes as they were viewed. In the current experiments participants studied a series of pictures, some of which were different viewpoints of the ...
Previous research demonstrates that implicitly learned probability information can guide visual a... more Previous research demonstrates that implicitly learned probability information can guide visual attention. We examined whether the probability of an object changing can be implicitly learned and then used to improve change detection performance. In a series of six experiments, participants completed 120-130 training change detection trials. In four of the experiments the object that changed color was the same shape (trained shape) on every trial. Participants were not explicitly aware of this change probability manipulation and change detection performance was not improved for the trained shape versus untrained shapes. In two of the experiments, the object that changed color was always in the same general location (trained location). Although participants were not explicitly aware of the change probability, implicit knowledge of it did improve change detection performance in the trained location. These results indicate that improved change detection performance through implicitly learned change probability occurs for location but not shape.
Comparison and representation failures both cause real-world change blindness
Perception, 2007
Change blindness (CB) occurs when people miss changes across views. Hypothetically, CB would occu... more Change blindness (CB) occurs when people miss changes across views. Hypothetically, CB would occur if observers failed to represent information about the changing object, but CB would also occur if observers represented and failed to compare information across views, or represented only the pre- or post-change object. For a variety of reasons, previous studies have been unable to determine which of these alternatives contribute to CB in an incidental real-world setting. To address these ambiguities, we conducted two real-world experiments using stimuli that changed on only one feature and tested recognition memory for both the changing feature and a non-changing feature. Participants also provided confidence ratings on recognition responses, allowing us to test whether CB has multiple causes within a single task setting. The results suggest that, in a single real-world setting, CB can be caused by both a failure to represent and a failure to compare information across views.
Past research has repeatedly documented the close relationship between visual attention and aware... more Past research has repeatedly documented the close relationship between visual attention and awareness. Most recently, research exploring change blindness, inattentional blindness, repetition blindness, and the attentional blink has converged on the conclusion that attention to one aspect of a scene or event may lead to a highly circumscribed awareness of only the specific information attended, while other information, even that which is spatially or temporally nearby can go completely unnoticed. In the present report, we extend these observations to the dynamic allocation of attention during a wellstructured meaningful event. In two experiments, subjects viewed brief videos of simple events and were told to pay close attention to them. During the events, an unexpected disruption consisting of a brief low spatial frequency motion field occurred. Despite intensive questioning and opportunities for recognition, the majority of subjects reported no awareness of 200, 400, or 600 ms disruptions. In a second experiment, blank-screen disruptions were added, and these resulted in no increase in detection. We conclude that visual attention may result in far more transitory awareness of visual information than previously appreciated.
Although much research has focused on emerging understandings of representation and mind, very li... more Although much research has focused on emerging understandings of representation and mind, very little research has explored the adult understanding of different representational systems.
Change blindness is often taken as evidence that visual representations are impoverished, while s... more Change blindness is often taken as evidence that visual representations are impoverished, while successful recognition of specific objects is taken as evidence that they are richly detailed. In the current experiments, participants performed cover tasks that required each object in a display to be attended. Change detection trials were unexpectedly introduced and surprise recognition tests were given for nonchanging displays. For both change detection and recognition, participants had to distinguish objects from the same basic-level category, making it likely that specific visual information had to be used for successful performance. Although recognition was above chance, incidental change detection usually remained at floor. These results help reconcile demonstrations of poor change detection with demonstrations of good memory because they suggest that the capability to store visual information in memory is not reflected by the visual system's tendency to utilize these representations for purposes of detecting unexpected changes.
The current experiments examined the hypothesis that scene structure affects time perception. In ... more The current experiments examined the hypothesis that scene structure affects time perception. In three experiments, participants judged the duration of realistic scenes that were presented in a normal or jumbled (i.e. incoherent) format. Experiment 1 demonstrated that the subjective duration of normal scenes was greater than subjective duration of jumbled scenes. In Experiment 2, gridlines were added to both normal and jumbled scenes to control for the number of line terminators, and scene structure had no effect. In Experiment 3, participants performed a secondary task that required paying attention to scene structure, and scene structure's effect on duration judgments reemerged. These findings are consistent with the idea that perceived duration can depend on visual-cognitive processing, which in turn depends on both the nature of the stimulus and the goals of the observer.
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Papers by Donald Varakin