Visual Search Task¶
HED Task ID: hedtsk_visual_search
Also known as: Feature Search, Conjunction Search
Detection of a target in a display of distractors; search slopes across set size dissociate feature (parallel) from conjunction (serial) search.
Description¶
Visual Search Tasks present participants with a display containing multiple items among which they must locate a target. In feature search, the target is defined by a single distinctive feature (e.g., a red item among blue) and “pops out” preattentively, with search time independent of set size. In conjunction search, the target is defined by a combination of features (e.g., a red square among red triangles and green squares) requiring serial, attention-dependent search with RT increasing linearly with set size. The task measures search efficiency, reaction time slopes, and accuracy, providing insights into parallel versus serial attentional processing.
Inclusion test¶
Procedure |
An array of items is displayed; participants search for a target defined by a feature or feature conjunction among distractors and indicate its presence/absence or identity. |
Manipulation |
Set size; target-distractor similarity; feature vs. conjunction target; target prevalence; display duration. |
Measurement |
RT × set size slope (search efficiency); intercept; accuracy; miss rate at low target prevalence. |
Variations¶
Variation |
Description |
Justification |
|---|---|---|
Feature Search (Pop-Out) |
Target defined by single unique feature; flat set-size functions; parallel processing. |
Canonical preattentive pop-out; target defined by single feature |
Conjunction Search |
Target defined by feature combination; linear set-size functions; serial/guided search. |
Target defined by conjunction of features; requires serial search |
Spatial Configuration Search |
Target defined by spatial arrangement of elements (e.g., rotated T among L’s). |
Learned spatial configuration guides search; contextual cueing component |
Absent Trials and Target-Present/Absent Ratio |
Manipulating target prevalence; low prevalence produces miss errors (prevalence effect). |
Systematically varies target presence probability; changes decision criteria |
Multiple-Target Search (Foraging) |
Finding multiple targets in a display; reveals satisfaction-of-search effects. |
Multiple targets per display; foraging paradigm with different decision structure |
Real-World/Naturalistic Search |
Searching photographs or 3D environments for objects in cluttered natural scenes. |
Natural scenes as search arrays; different stimulus class and recognition demands |
Guided Search Variants |
Manipulating top-down guidance via instruction or preview; tests guided search model predictions. |
Top-down feature guidance provides target template; changes attentional control |
Additional-Singleton Paradigm |
Salient but irrelevant distractor captures attention; measures bottom-up capture vs. top-down control. |
Color singleton distractor captures attention; distinct capture paradigm |
Preview Search |
Half of items presented early (preview); search operates over new items only (visual marking). |
Subset of items previewed before search display; different temporal structure |
Adaptive Choice Visual Search |
Participants choose which display region to search; models foraging decisions. |
Participant chooses between search types; tests cost-benefit of different strategies |
Hybrid Search (Visual + Memory) |
Searching displays for any of multiple targets held in memory; combines visual search and memory search. |
Memory set held while visual search proceeds; combined memory-search paradigm |
Cognitive processes¶
This task engages the following cognitive processes:
Key references¶
{‘authors’: ‘Treisman, A. M., & Gelade, G.’, ‘year’: 1980, ‘title’: ‘A feature-integration theory of attention’, ‘venue’: ‘Cognitive Psychology’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Cognitive Psychology’, ‘volume’: ‘12’, ‘issue’: ‘1’, ‘pages’: ‘97-136’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1016/0010-0285(80)90005-5’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Treisman, A., & Gelade, G. (1980). A feature-integration theory of attention. Cognitive Psychology, 12(1), 97-136.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0285(80)90005-5’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘Behrmann, M., Geng, J. J., & Shomstein, S.’, ‘year’: 2004, ‘title’: ‘Parietal cortex and attention’, ‘venue’: ‘Current Opinion in Neurobiology’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Current Opinion in Neurobiology’, ‘volume’: ‘14’, ‘issue’: ‘2’, ‘pages’: ‘212-217’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1016/j.conb.2004.03.012’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Behrmann, M., Geng, J. J., & Shomstein, S. (2004). Parietal cortex and attention. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 14(2), 212-217.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2004.03.012’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
Recent references¶
{‘authors’: ‘Wolfe, J. M.’, ‘year’: 2021, ‘title’: ‘Guided Search 6.0: An updated model of visual search’, ‘venue’: ‘Psychonomic Bulletin & Review’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Psychonomic Bulletin & Review’, ‘volume’: ‘28’, ‘issue’: ‘4’, ‘pages’: ‘1060-1092’, ‘doi’: ‘10.3758/s13423-020-01859-9’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Wolfe, J. M. (2021). Guided Search 6.0: An updated model of visual search. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 28, 1060–1092.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-020-01859-9’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘Eckstein, M. P.’, ‘year’: 2011, ‘title’: ‘Visual search: A retrospective’, ‘venue’: ‘Journal of Vision’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Journal of Vision’, ‘volume’: ‘11’, ‘issue’: ‘5’, ‘pages’: ‘14-14’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1167/11.5.14’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Eckstein, M. P. (2011). Visual search: A retrospective. Journal of Vision, 11(5), 14.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1167/11.5.14’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘Luck, S. J., & Ford, M. A.’, ‘year’: 1998, ‘title’: ‘On the role of selective attention in visual\u2009perception’, ‘venue’: ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’, ‘volume’: ‘95’, ‘issue’: ‘3’, ‘pages’: ‘825-830’, ‘doi’: ‘10.1073/pnas.95.3.825’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Luck, S. J., & Ford, M. A. (1998). On the role of selective attention in visual perception. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 95(3), 825–830. [Updated by: Liesefeld, H. R., & Müller, H. J. (2019). Distractor handling via dimension weighting. Current Opinion in Psychology, 29, 160–167.]’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.95.3.825’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}
{‘authors’: ‘Wolfe, J. M., & Horowitz, T. S.’, ‘year’: 2017, ‘title’: ‘Five factors that guide attention in visual search’, ‘venue’: ‘Nature Human Behaviour’, ‘venue_type’: ‘journal’, ‘journal’: ‘Nature Human Behaviour’, ‘volume’: ‘1’, ‘issue’: ‘3’, ‘pages’: None, ‘doi’: ‘10.1038/s41562-017-0058’, ‘openalex_id’: None, ‘pmid’: None, ‘citation_string’: ‘Wolfe, J. M., & Horowitz, T. S. (2017). Five factors that guide attention in visual search. Nature Human Behaviour, 1, 0058.’, ‘url’: ‘https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0058’, ‘source’: ‘crossref’, ‘confidence’: ‘high’, ‘verified_on’: ‘2026-04-20’}