Looking Around the Mind s Eye Attention Based Access to Visual Search Templates in Working Memory
We present a new computational model that addresses resource limitations in working memory during visual search. In contrast to previous computational models of visual search, which assume unlimited and instantaneous access to a visual search template stored in working memory, our model provides a new mechanism for sequential, partial access to complex search templates. Using the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) as our task domain, we show that small variations in this mechanism for attention based template access can have large effects on search performance. We also suggest a new computational explanation for how this mechanism might explain individual differences in "field independence," the cognitive construct that the EFT is intended to measure. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results for research in AI and cognitive science.