Moderating Factors in Visual Search: The Role of Ecological-Validity

Participants completed a visual search task that varied along three dimensions: 1) stimulus type: ecologically valid humans or ecologically neutral objects, 2) stimulus behavior: static, dynamic or random, and 3) number of targets: one or two. Search was faster when ecologically valid stimuli were used, and when these moved in a predictable fashion. Certain types of visual searches require search memory, or the ability to mentally tag previously examined objects. This search memory is optimized when ecologically valid stimuli are used. Design of visual search interfaces should take into account both the task and the stimuli.