Information Processing Of Visual Shape And Semantic Category In Vision Search

Visual shape means the overall contour of the objects.The characteristics of visual shape can be represented,and as the basic unit,it is stored in long-term memory according to a certain way.It is also the key features of searching objects.Semantic category is defined that in the process of searching or identifying objects,it is not always a single object as a unit, but organized according to the attributes of semantic.The processing of visual shape information and semantic category information is at different levels.Visual shape information is perception-based at the level of perception processing.Semantic category information is based on the semantic information,and is at the level of semantic processing. There are a lot of experimental evidences that prove the existence of the visual shape and semantic category information,but previous studies is to separate the two information to research.According to Humphreys's(1995) "Interactive Action and Competition Model", the representation of perceptual and semantic can be activated interactionally.The processing of perceptual information and semantic information overlaps each other.Then what are the characteristics of visual shape and semantic category information processing? Will the two information processing be competition and interactive action? What are the factors in the two information process?Using 2(target type)×3(target presentation time)×3(object similarity),three-factor mixed experimental design to study the problem.The three factors are as follows:target type(text,graphics);object similarity(shape similar objects,semantic category objects, unrelated object);target presentation time(50ms,250ms,600ms).Target type and object similarity are between-subjects variables,target presentation time is within-subjects variables.In this experiment,college students are the subjects,using the visual search paradigm and eye-movement tracking technology to carry out the experiment.To analysis the visual shape and semantic category information processing characteristics using both the behavioral indexes and eye-movement indexes.The results show that:(1) visual shape and semantic category information are different under the different conditions(target type and target presentation time),and showing the activation of different features.The processing of visual shape information has precedence over the semantic category information,but also found the existence of interaction and competition between them.Perceptual processing and semantic processing is activation and competition interactionally.Thereby,the result supports the interactive action and competition model proposed by Humphreys.From time processing,the visual shape information showed a certain regularity,and not be influenced by the target type and target presentation time.To the opposite,the activation of semantic information changes with target type and target presentation time.(2) Visual shape information and semantic category information processing is influenced by the material and processing level.When the graphics are the search target and the target presentation time is long enough,the semantic category information is activated higher than the level of activation of the visual shape information. The results supports "the Common Coding Theory" that graphics as a target can prompt a more rapid and effective transmission of information.(3) If the cognitive task involved naming task(such as recall),to some extent,it may also activate the phonological information processing.