The influence of categorical labels on visual search performance

Abstract

In the current study we investigated how the presence or absence of categorical labels for a particular object in an experiment can infuence our visual search of that object if it is placed among distractors which also have categorical labels in the experiment or have no labels. We hypothesized that a visual search for a labeled target would be more effective if it were located among non-labeled distractors. We also hypothesized that a visual search for a non-labeled target would be more effective if it were located among non-labeled distractors. The last hypothesis was put forward because we thought that labeled objects would attract our attention more than non-labeled ones, which would interfere with a search for a non-labeled target. Our experiment consisted of two stages. In the frst, preparatory stage, participants acquired new categories and learned labels for half of them. In the second, experimental stage, participants performed the visual search task. In total, we conducted three studies where we varied the manner of target designation. Our results show that participants do a search faster if a target is located among distractors which are also labeled, or else non-labeled, like the target (experiment 1a). In trials where there were two targets on a screen, located among labeled and non labeled distractors, participants tended to fnd a labeled target among non-labeled distractors frst (experiment 1a). Unfortunately, those results were not replicated in the following experiments (experiments 1b and 2), where the search task was harder for participants.