Investigating task-dependent top-down effects on overt visual attention
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Investigating task-dependent top-down effects on overt visual attention. / Betz, Torsten; Kietzmann, Tim C; Wilming, Niklas; König, Peter.
In: J VISION, Vol. 10, No. 3, 29.03.2010, p. 15.1-14.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Investigating task-dependent top-down effects on overt visual attention
AU - Betz, Torsten
AU - Kietzmann, Tim C
AU - Wilming, Niklas
AU - König, Peter
PY - 2010/3/29
Y1 - 2010/3/29
N2 - Different tasks can induce different viewing behavior, yet it is still an open question how or whether at all high-level task information interacts with the bottom-up processing of stimulus-related information. Two possible causal routes are considered in this paper. Firstly, the weak top-down hypothesis, according to which top-down effects are mediated by changes of feature weights in the bottom-up system. Secondly, the strong top-down hypothesis, which proposes that top-down information acts independently of the bottom-up process. To clarify the influences of these different routes, viewing behavior was recorded on web pages for three different tasks: free viewing, content awareness, and information search. The data reveal significant task-dependent differences in viewing behavior that are accompanied by minor changes in feature-fixation correlations. Extensive computational modeling shows that these small but significant changes are insufficient to explain the observed differences in viewing behavior. Collectively, the results show that task-dependent differences in the current setting are not mediated by a reweighting of features in the bottom-up hierarchy, ruling out the weak top-down hypothesis. Consequently, the strong top-down hypothesis is the most viable explanation for the observed data.
AB - Different tasks can induce different viewing behavior, yet it is still an open question how or whether at all high-level task information interacts with the bottom-up processing of stimulus-related information. Two possible causal routes are considered in this paper. Firstly, the weak top-down hypothesis, according to which top-down effects are mediated by changes of feature weights in the bottom-up system. Secondly, the strong top-down hypothesis, which proposes that top-down information acts independently of the bottom-up process. To clarify the influences of these different routes, viewing behavior was recorded on web pages for three different tasks: free viewing, content awareness, and information search. The data reveal significant task-dependent differences in viewing behavior that are accompanied by minor changes in feature-fixation correlations. Extensive computational modeling shows that these small but significant changes are insufficient to explain the observed differences in viewing behavior. Collectively, the results show that task-dependent differences in the current setting are not mediated by a reweighting of features in the bottom-up hierarchy, ruling out the weak top-down hypothesis. Consequently, the strong top-down hypothesis is the most viable explanation for the observed data.
KW - Adult
KW - Attention
KW - Eye Movements
KW - Female
KW - Fixation, Ocular
KW - Goals
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Models, Neurological
KW - Pattern Recognition, Visual
KW - Photic Stimulation
KW - Reading
KW - Young Adult
KW - Journal Article
KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
U2 - 10.1167/10.3.15
DO - 10.1167/10.3.15
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 20377292
VL - 10
SP - 15.1-14
JO - J VISION
JF - J VISION
SN - 1534-7362
IS - 3
ER -
