When Dogs Fly: The Roles of Context and Stimulus Type in Predicting Non-Amnesic Visual Search

The present study examined whether search memory is facilitated by the presence of ecologically congruent cues. Participants completed a visual search task in which they had to decide whether one or two targets were present in an array of 12 items. Reaction time and eye movements were recorded. Targets consisted of either organic stimuli (person, dog, bird), artifacts (jets) or symbols (stars or a backwards ‘S’). These were placed on one of three backgrounds (neutral gray, sky, or grass). Reaction times showed that search memory was greatest for organic stimuli (people, dogs), followed by complex symbols, and finally stimuli that are most associated with aerial searches. Eye movements showed a similar pattern of results. This pattern of data suggests a continuum in the reliance on inhibitive markers during visual search, such that naturally paired stimuli and backgrounds may be more likely to yield non-amnesic searches.