The elephant in the room: inconsistency in scene viewing and representation

Spotorno, S. and Tatler, B. W. (2017) The elephant in the room: inconsistency in scene viewing and representation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 43(10), pp. 1717-1743. (doi: 10.1037/xhp0000456) (PMID:28967780)

[img]
Preview
Text
144161.pdf - Accepted Version

5MB

Abstract

We examined the extent to which semantic informativeness, consistency with expectations and perceptual salience contribute to object prioritization in scene viewing and representation. In scene viewing (Experiments 1–2), semantic guidance overshadowed perceptual guidance in determining fixation order, with the greatest prioritization for objects that were diagnostic of the scene’s depicted event. Perceptual properties affected selection of consistent objects (regardless of their informativeness) but not of inconsistent objects. Semantic and perceptual properties also interacted in influencing foveal inspection, as inconsistent objects were fixated longer than low but not high salience diagnostic objects. While not studied in direct competition with each other (each studied in competition with diagnostic objects), we found that inconsistent objects were fixated earlier and for longer than consistent but marginally informative objects. In change detection (Experiment 3), perceptual guidance overshadowed semantic guidance, promoting detection of highly salient changes. A residual advantage for diagnosticity over inconsistency emerged only when selection prioritization could not be based on low-level features. Overall these findings show that semantic inconsistency is not prioritized within a scene when competing with other relevant information that is essential to scene understanding and respects observers’ expectations. Moreover, they reveal that the relative dominance of semantic or perceptual properties during selection depends on ongoing task requirements.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. Please do not copy or cite without author's permission. The final article is available, upon publication, at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000456
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Spotorno, Dr Sara
Authors: Spotorno, S., and Tatler, B. W.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience
Journal Name:Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
Publisher:American Psychological Association
ISSN:0096-1523
ISSN (Online):1946-1941
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2017 American Psychological Association
First Published:First published in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 43(10):1717-1743
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record