Attention to distinguishing features in object recognition

Orit Baruch; Ruth Kimchi; Morris Goldsmith

doi:10.1080/13506285.2014.987860

Attention to distinguishing features in object recognition

Orit Baruch, Ruth Kimchi, Morris Goldsmith

Department of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This study advances the hypothesis that, in the course of object recognition, attention is directed to distinguishing features: visual information that is diagnostic of object identity in a specific context. In five experiments, observers performed an object categorization task involving drawings of fish (Experiments 1–4) and photographs of natural sea animals (Experiment 5). Allocation of attention to distinguishing and non-distinguishing features was examined using primed-matching (Experiment 1) and visual probe (Experiments 2, 4, 5) methods, and manipulated by spatial precuing (Experiment 3). Converging results indicated that in performing the object categorization task, attention was allocated to the distinguishing features in a context-dependent manner, and that such allocation facilitated performance. Based on the view that object recognition, like categorization, is essentially a process of discrimination between probable alternatives, the implications of the findings for the role of attention to distinguishing features in object recognition are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1184-1215
Number of pages	32
Journal	Visual Cognition
Volume	22
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/13506285.2014.987860
State	Published - 3 Feb 2015

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Please address all correspondence to Orit Baruch, Department of Psychology and Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel. E-mail: oritb@research.haifa.ac.il This research was supported by a grant [grant number 1110/10] from the Israel Science Foundation to Ruth Kimchi and Morris Goldsmith, and comprises part of Orit Baruch’s PhD dissertation, submitted to the University of Haifa. Facilities for conducting the research were provided by the Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making and by the Max Wertheimer Minerva Center for Cognitive Processes and Human Performance.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, © 2015 Taylor & Francis.

Keywords

Distinguishing features
Object categorization
Object recognition
Visual attention

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
Cognitive Neuroscience

Access to Document

10.1080/13506285.2014.987860

Cite this

@article{40568d2eced04ad0b9e87026d440fc7d,

title = "Attention to distinguishing features in object recognition",

abstract = "This study advances the hypothesis that, in the course of object recognition, attention is directed to distinguishing features: visual information that is diagnostic of object identity in a specific context. In five experiments, observers performed an object categorization task involving drawings of fish (Experiments 1–4) and photographs of natural sea animals (Experiment 5). Allocation of attention to distinguishing and non-distinguishing features was examined using primed-matching (Experiment 1) and visual probe (Experiments 2, 4, 5) methods, and manipulated by spatial precuing (Experiment 3). Converging results indicated that in performing the object categorization task, attention was allocated to the distinguishing features in a context-dependent manner, and that such allocation facilitated performance. Based on the view that object recognition, like categorization, is essentially a process of discrimination between probable alternatives, the implications of the findings for the role of attention to distinguishing features in object recognition are discussed.",

keywords = "Distinguishing features, Object categorization, Object recognition, Visual attention",

author = "Orit Baruch and Ruth Kimchi and Morris Goldsmith",

note = "Funding Information: Please address all correspondence to Orit Baruch, Department of Psychology and Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel. E-mail: oritb@research.haifa.ac.il This research was supported by a grant [grant number 1110/10] from the Israel Science Foundation to Ruth Kimchi and Morris Goldsmith, and comprises part of Orit Baruch{\textquoteright}s PhD dissertation, submitted to the University of Haifa. Facilities for conducting the research were provided by the Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making and by the Max Wertheimer Minerva Center for Cognitive Processes and Human Performance. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015, {\textcopyright} 2015 Taylor & Francis.",

year = "2015",

month = feb,

day = "3",

doi = "10.1080/13506285.2014.987860",

language = "English",

volume = "22",

pages = "1184--1215",

journal = "Visual Cognition",

issn = "1350-6285",

publisher = "Taylor and Francis Ltd.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Attention to distinguishing features in object recognition

AU - Baruch, Orit

AU - Kimchi, Ruth

AU - Goldsmith, Morris

N1 - Funding Information: Please address all correspondence to Orit Baruch, Department of Psychology and Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel. E-mail: oritb@research.haifa.ac.il This research was supported by a grant [grant number 1110/10] from the Israel Science Foundation to Ruth Kimchi and Morris Goldsmith, and comprises part of Orit Baruch’s PhD dissertation, submitted to the University of Haifa. Facilities for conducting the research were provided by the Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making and by the Max Wertheimer Minerva Center for Cognitive Processes and Human Performance. Publisher Copyright: © 2015, © 2015 Taylor & Francis.

PY - 2015/2/3

Y1 - 2015/2/3

N2 - This study advances the hypothesis that, in the course of object recognition, attention is directed to distinguishing features: visual information that is diagnostic of object identity in a specific context. In five experiments, observers performed an object categorization task involving drawings of fish (Experiments 1–4) and photographs of natural sea animals (Experiment 5). Allocation of attention to distinguishing and non-distinguishing features was examined using primed-matching (Experiment 1) and visual probe (Experiments 2, 4, 5) methods, and manipulated by spatial precuing (Experiment 3). Converging results indicated that in performing the object categorization task, attention was allocated to the distinguishing features in a context-dependent manner, and that such allocation facilitated performance. Based on the view that object recognition, like categorization, is essentially a process of discrimination between probable alternatives, the implications of the findings for the role of attention to distinguishing features in object recognition are discussed.

AB - This study advances the hypothesis that, in the course of object recognition, attention is directed to distinguishing features: visual information that is diagnostic of object identity in a specific context. In five experiments, observers performed an object categorization task involving drawings of fish (Experiments 1–4) and photographs of natural sea animals (Experiment 5). Allocation of attention to distinguishing and non-distinguishing features was examined using primed-matching (Experiment 1) and visual probe (Experiments 2, 4, 5) methods, and manipulated by spatial precuing (Experiment 3). Converging results indicated that in performing the object categorization task, attention was allocated to the distinguishing features in a context-dependent manner, and that such allocation facilitated performance. Based on the view that object recognition, like categorization, is essentially a process of discrimination between probable alternatives, the implications of the findings for the role of attention to distinguishing features in object recognition are discussed.

KW - Distinguishing features

KW - Object categorization

KW - Object recognition

KW - Visual attention

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84922449060&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/13506285.2014.987860

DO - 10.1080/13506285.2014.987860

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84922449060

SN - 1350-6285

VL - 22

SP - 1184

EP - 1215

JO - Visual Cognition

JF - Visual Cognition

ER -

Attention to distinguishing features in object recognition

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this