Effect of Background Constraint on Visual Search Times
Brian Brown · Ergonomics · 1976
Search backgrounds used previously have ranged from regular arrays of non-targets differing from the target in only one dimension through to irregular arrays of non-targets differing from the target in many dimensions (size, shape, colour, contrast, etc. ). There is no basis for comparison among results of these search tasks. In the experiment described hero, statistically determined displays differing in the probability of transition (P, ) from the state ‘ dot present’ to ‘ dot absent’ have been used as search backgrounds and the relation between search time and P, has been determined. It is suggested that P, may be useful in describing applied search task backgrounds.