Individual differences predict low prevalence visual search performance

Peltier, Chad; Becker, Mark W. · 2017 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1186/s41235-016-0042-3

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Summary

This study addresses the "low prevalence effect," a phenomenon where observers exhibit high miss rates when searching for rare targets, a critical issue in real-world applications like radiology and baggage screening. Previous attempts to mitigate this effect through experimental manipulations (e.g., feedback, altered search procedures) have largely failed or resulted in increased false alarms. Building on prior research linking working memory capacity to search performance, Peltier and Becker investigated whether a battery of individual difference measures could predict low prevalence visual search accuracy. The goal was to identify a practical screening tool for selecting individuals who naturally perform well in these tasks. The researchers assessed 141 undergraduate participants using a comprehensive battery of tasks. The primary dependent variable was performance in a visual search task involving rotated T targets among L distractors at two prevalence levels: 10% (low) and 50% (high). Predictor variables included visual working memory capacity (vWMC) measured via a change detection task, vigilance assessed through a go/no-go continuous performance task, attentional control measured using a Posner cuing task, high prevalence search performance, and Big Five personality traits assessed via the Mini IPIP questionnaire. The study employed hierarchical linear regression to determine which factors significantly predicted low prevalence search accuracy and reaction times, while also examining the relationship between predictors and false alarm rates. The results confirmed the presence of the low prevalence effect, with significantly lower hit rates and faster reaction times on target-absent trials in the low prevalence condition. A multiple regression model revealed that five factors significantly predicted low prevalence search accuracy: vWMC, vigilance, attentional control, high prevalence search performance, and the personality trait of introversion. Together, these variables accounted for over 50% of the variance in search performance. Crucially, these predictors were associated with higher hit rates without an increase in false alarms, indicating a beneficial shift in sensitivity rather than a mere change in decision criterion. Furthermore, with the exception of vigilance, these predictors were associated with longer reaction times on target-absent trials, suggesting that high performers maintain higher quitting thresholds and search longer before terminating a trial. The significance of these findings lies in the potential for practical application. The study demonstrates that a quick, easy-to-administer battery of cognitive and personality tasks can reliably identify individuals who are likely to perform well in low prevalence search tasks. By selecting employees based on these traits—specifically high vWMC, attentional control, and introversion—employers could improve detection rates in critical screening roles without the costly errors associated with false alarms. The results support the theoretical mechanism that individual differences in quitting thresholds drive performance variations, offering a viable alternative to procedural interventions for mitigating the low prevalence effect.

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• visual search