Object superiority as a function of object coherence and task difficulty

摘要

This study addressed the view that object silperiority depends on the informativeness or task relevance of particular contexts. It was hypothesized that target search is facilitated to the extent that global properties of a complex stimulus provide informative cues to target location. Results of Experinients 1 and 2 showed that when the target appeared at variable relative positions it was identified better in a coherent context than in an incoherentone. Because the coherent coil text was presumed to contain informative global cues to location, the results confirmed the hypothesis. Experiment 2 also indicated that when only informative local properties were available, search was facilitated, albeit to a lesser extent than when global properties were available. Overall, the results extend the informativeness view of object superiority effects.