Quantitative Analysis of Individual Differences in Visual Attention Properties

Research Project

Project/Area Number	14550412
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Measurement engineering
Research Institution	Tokyo Institute of Technology
Principal Investigator	UCHIKAWA Keiji Tokyo Institute of Technology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Professor, 大学院・総合理工学研究科, 教授 (00158776)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	MATSUMIYA Kazumichi Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Professor, 大学院・理工学研究科, 研究員 YOKOI Kenji Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Associate Professor, 大学院・総合理工学研究科, 助手 (10345374) KENEKO Hirohiko Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Associate Professor, 大学院・理工学研究科, 助教授 (60323804)
Project Period (FY)	2002 – 2003
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2003)
Budget Amount *help	¥3,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000) Fiscal Year 2003: ¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000) Fiscal Year 2002: ¥2,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000)
Keywords	Visual attention / Visual information processing / Individual difference / Contrast sensitivity
Research Abstract	The aim of the present research is to investigate individual differences in the strength and the spatial range of the visual attention. We measured detection sensitivity of a visual target in the conditions with attention and without attention. The double task and the single task paradigms were adopted in the main experiment. In the double task condition the observer responded only when the central task was correctly performed. It was possible to estimate the sensitivity change by comparing the results in these twoconditions. The Gabor pattern was uses as a stimulus and its spatial frequency was set at 0.5,1,2,4,8,and 16 cpd. Ten observers participated in this experiment. In the main experiment an apparatus was newly built which consisted of 6 mirrors and two monitors to make the viewing distance long enough to produce fine gratings. It was possible to measure spatial contrast sensitivity with frequency by using this apparatus. The results show that the spatial contrast sensitivities were found to be lower with the central task than those without the central task for all observers, which means that when attention is not paid to the target area the detection sensitivity decreases. Clear individual differences exist in the spatial frequency characteristics of sensitivity reduction. These individual differences are categorized into four patterns. 1.Large sensitivity reduction, larger in high spatial frequencies, 2.Large sensitivity reduction, no spatial selectivity, 3.Small sensitivity reduction, larger in middle spatial frequencies, 4.Small sensitivity reduction, no spatial frequency selectivity.