Why don't we see changes? The role of attentional bottlenecks and limited visual memory

Seven experiments explore the role of bottlenecks in selective attention and access to visual short-term memory (VSTM) in the failure of observers to identify clearly visible changes in otherwise stable visual displays. Experiment 1 shows that observers fail to register a colour change in an object...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Wolfe, J, Reinecke, A, Brawn, P
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2006
_version_ 1826294652726149120
author Wolfe, J
Reinecke, A
Brawn, P
author_facet Wolfe, J
Reinecke, A
Brawn, P
author_sort Wolfe, J
collection OXFORD
description Seven experiments explore the role of bottlenecks in selective attention and access to visual short-term memory (VSTM) in the failure of observers to identify clearly visible changes in otherwise stable visual displays. Experiment 1 shows that observers fail to register a colour change in an object even if they are cued to the location of the object by a transient at that location as the change is occurring. Experiment 2 shows the same for orientation change. In Experiments 3 and 4, attention is directed to specific objects prior to making changes in those objects. Observers have only a very limited memory for the status of recently attended items. Experiment 5 reveals that observers have no ability to detect changes that happen after attention has been directed to an object and before attention returns to that object. In Experiment 6, attention is cued at rates that more closely resemble natural rates and Experiment 7 uses natural images. Memory capacity remains very small (< 4 items). © 2006 Psychology Press Ltd.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T03:48:59Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:c08c4eea-b1ae-4fe3-91cf-458e5429f4c4
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T03:48:59Z
publishDate 2006
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:c08c4eea-b1ae-4fe3-91cf-458e5429f4c42022-03-27T05:55:15ZWhy don't we see changes? The role of attentional bottlenecks and limited visual memoryJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:c08c4eea-b1ae-4fe3-91cf-458e5429f4c4EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2006Wolfe, JReinecke, ABrawn, PSeven experiments explore the role of bottlenecks in selective attention and access to visual short-term memory (VSTM) in the failure of observers to identify clearly visible changes in otherwise stable visual displays. Experiment 1 shows that observers fail to register a colour change in an object even if they are cued to the location of the object by a transient at that location as the change is occurring. Experiment 2 shows the same for orientation change. In Experiments 3 and 4, attention is directed to specific objects prior to making changes in those objects. Observers have only a very limited memory for the status of recently attended items. Experiment 5 reveals that observers have no ability to detect changes that happen after attention has been directed to an object and before attention returns to that object. In Experiment 6, attention is cued at rates that more closely resemble natural rates and Experiment 7 uses natural images. Memory capacity remains very small (< 4 items). © 2006 Psychology Press Ltd.
spellingShingle Wolfe, J
Reinecke, A
Brawn, P
Why don't we see changes? The role of attentional bottlenecks and limited visual memory
title Why don't we see changes? The role of attentional bottlenecks and limited visual memory
title_full Why don't we see changes? The role of attentional bottlenecks and limited visual memory
title_fullStr Why don't we see changes? The role of attentional bottlenecks and limited visual memory
title_full_unstemmed Why don't we see changes? The role of attentional bottlenecks and limited visual memory
title_short Why don't we see changes? The role of attentional bottlenecks and limited visual memory
title_sort why don t we see changes the role of attentional bottlenecks and limited visual memory
work_keys_str_mv AT wolfej whydontweseechangestheroleofattentionalbottlenecksandlimitedvisualmemory
AT reineckea whydontweseechangestheroleofattentionalbottlenecksandlimitedvisualmemory
AT brawnp whydontweseechangestheroleofattentionalbottlenecksandlimitedvisualmemory