Theories of Visual Search
A standard theory of visual search tasks assumes that when a person searches for a target in an array of other items, memory is used in locating the target. The following analysis of three articles shows that there is both strong support for this highly respected theory and evidence that this theory may have some flaws in reasoning.
In the article "Features and Objects in Visual Processing," Anne Treisman states that there are two theoretical levels of visual processing. In the first level of visual processing, certain components of visual information are processed instantly and unconsciously. A person does not have to concentrate on individual parts of the scene. This stage of processing is called the preattentive stage. During the preattentive stage, the light received by the visual receptors is translated in to the lines, curves, colors and textures of the objects. Within the brain, there are two distinct visual areas that specialize in different areas of processing.
