Change detection

On each trial of the experiment, two pictures were presented in alternation. On half the trials,
the two pictures were identical. On the other half of the trials, the two pictures differed in
some way (e.g., an object disappeared from one image). For each kind of pair, either the
pictures appeared immediately one after the other (no flicker condition), or a blank gray box
appeared in between the pictures (flicker condition). Your task was to report whether the
pictures were identical or differed.

IV&DV
One independent variable in this experiment was the flicker and no flicker conditions. A
second variable was whether the pictures were the same or changed. Two dependent
variables were measured: proportion correct judgments and response time. Proportion
correct was identifying that the images were the same or different. Response time was the
time between the appearance of the stimuli and the time when the observer made a
response.

What do we predict participants will do? Why?

The table below shows the proportion correct identification of whether the pictures differed or
not and the response time for the observer(s) to make that judgment. The expected pattern
of results is that percentage correct is smaller and response time is slower for the flicker
condition than for the no flicker condition.

In the no flicker condition, the changing object is easy to identify because the change is
immediately detected. Likewise it is easy to tell that no change is occuring. In the flicker
condition, these cues are no longer helpful because the intervening gray leads to changes
all over the picture. As a result, you have to search the scene, object by object until you
happen to find the changed object.

Failing to detect that an object has changed has been called change blindness. Researchers
think that change blindness is a leading cause of many car accidents. Glancing away from
the road and then back is equivalent to seeing a scene followed by a blank field followed by
a changed scene: The change is very difficult to notice, so your car hits another car.

Real life example

example, when driving in traffic, the vehicles around us

constantly change their position, and sometimes their speed and direction
as well. In order to avoid collisions, we must notice any such changes and
respond to them.

Accuracy and Response Time

Condition Proportion Correct RT (ms)
No Flicker 0.75 5259.25
Flicker 0.875 5961.625