ERIC Number: EJ1387426
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2365-7464
Graded Prioritisation of Targets in Search: Reward Diminishes the Low Prevalence Effect
Hadjipanayi, Veronica; Ludwig, Casimir J. H.; Kent, Christopher
Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, v8 Article 52 2023
In many real-life contexts, observers are required to search for targets that are rarely present (e.g. tumours in X-rays; dangerous items in airport security screenings). Despite the rarity of these items, they are of enormous importance for the health and safety of the public, yet they are easily missed during visual search. This is referred to as the prevalence effect. In the current series of experiments, we investigate whether unequal reward can modulate the prevalence effect, in a "multiple" target search task. Having first established the impact of prevalence (Experiment 1) and reward (Experiment 2) on how efficiently participants can find one of several targets in the current paradigm, we then combined the two forms of priority to investigate their interaction. An "unequal" reward distribution (where lower prevalence items are more rewarded; Experiment 3) was found to diminish the effect of prevalence, compared to an equal reward distribution (Experiment 4) as indicated by faster response times and fewer misses. These findings suggest that when combined with an unequal reward distribution, the low prevalence effect can be diminished.
Descriptors: Search Strategies, Observation, Visual Discrimination, Visual Perception, Rewards, Incidence, Grades (Scholastic), Interaction
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A