FVS framework
FVS: A framework for the factors of attentional processing
This study tries to extract the factors of attentional processing from a broad range of 16 stimulus types × 26 tasks (N=1744).
It tries to combine the merit of experimental study and that of correlational research.
Three factors (i.e., featural, visual, and spatial strengths) accounted for the vast majority (95.4%) of the underlying mechanisms.
The roles of the featural and visual strengths largely agree with previous theories (e.g., feature integration theory & guided search), with some novel findings (e.g., orientation and motion are not preattentive features).
The spatial strength reflects the role of a capacity-limited Boolean map. For a typical example, see the orientation advantage in VWM below.
The FVS framework provides a comprehensive roadmap of the nature of tasks in this research area (i.e., the left-side figure).
Relevant articles:
Orientation advantage in VWM
Boolean map theory’s notion of simultaneous representation of multiple locations made a unique prediction. For features, bar orientations, but not colors, can be represented in an all-stimulus-item Boolean map. For tasks, change detection, but not visual search, can rely on the all-stimulus-item Boolean map. Together, a unique interaction between feature (bar orientation vs. color) and task (change detection vs. visual search) is expected: It is easier to remember orientations than colors in change detection, but it is more difficult to look for orientations than colors in the visual search task (please see the demos below). This is the link between the Boolean map theory and FVS framework.
Relevant article: 2015, Psych-Sci
Change detection task
orientations > colors
