Visual Search with Embedded Targets: Color and Texture Differences

Two embedded target visual search displays were used in three kinds of experiment. One display had a color and the other a monochrome texture background. In each trial of each experiment a single target was presented. First, 28 observers rated the discriminability of five color and four monochrome targets from the color and monochrome backgrounds, respectively. Second, five observers searched the color and six the monochrome display for the appropriate targets and, after practice, there were 60 trials per observer per target. Third, using the five observers who searched the color display and four of the six who searched the monochrome, the extent into the periphery that they could see the appropriate targets when the displays were exposed for 0.3 seconds was measured. Analysis of the data showed that, for the color displays, simple equations, developed for competition search situations, could be used to relate together the three types of measure. The equations were less successful for the monochrome display.