Visual search task refers to a task in which subjects are asked to detect the presence of a particular target against an array of similar stimuli.
In psychology, a visual search task is a type of experiment designed to investigate how humans search and process visual information. In a visual search task, participants are presented with an array of visual stimuli, such as letters, numbers, or shapes, and are asked to search for a specific target among distractors. The task measures the time and accuracy of participants' responses, as well as the cognitive processes involved in visual search. Here are some examples of visual search tasks:
-
Feature search task: In this type of visual search task, the target differs from the distractors on a single visual feature, such as color or shape. For example, participants may be asked to search for a red letter among green letters.
-
Conjunction search task: In this type of visual search task, the target differs from the distractors on a combination of visual features, such as color and shape. For example, participants may be asked to search for a red circle among green circles and red squares.
-
Spatial configuration search task: In this type of visual search task, the target is defined by its spatial location or arrangement. For example, participants may be asked to search for a diagonal line among horizontal and vertical lines.
-
Visual search in real-world scenes: In this type of visual search task, participants are asked to search for a specific object or feature in a photograph or real-world scene. For example, participants may be asked to search for a stop sign in a picture of a city street.
Visual search tasks are used to study visual attention, perception, and cognition, and can provide insight into how humans process and make sense of visual information in the environment.