Spatial attention and cognition in the extended visual field

我们经常无法注意到发生在中央视觉之外的物体或事件，即使它们可能非常明显。为了避免碰撞，司机必须注意到汽车从右边来。为了防止跌倒，我们必须避开留在地板上的玩具。事实上，许多重要的活动都依赖于我们注意到周边视觉意外变化的能力。忽视这些变化有时会造成严重后果。虽然心理科学在理解视觉注意力的机制方面取得了很大的进步，但大多数研究都集中在一个不到总视野10%的小中心区域。此外，大多数研究涉及静态环境;但在应用情况下（例如驾驶），注意力往往部署在动态环境中。目前还不清楚传统研究的结果是否可以安全地推广到高光流率下的扩展视野。 我们将开发新的方法来测量静态和动态背景下的扩展视野中的注意力。我们将建立、评估和应用一个关于注意力如何部署的统计模型。该模型将纳入时间因素和影响，偏差部署。该模型将提供一个框架，用于评估在不同需求下（例如在交谈时）相关活动（例如驾驶）的表现。我们将探索旨在增强注意力视野的认知训练的创新方法，并研究知觉学习的相关机制。此外，我们将探讨空间注意和视觉工作记忆在更高层次的认知任务（特别是心理旋转）中的作用。 这些新知识将有助于解决各种问题，包括车辆碰撞、老年人福尔斯跌倒和信息显示器的设计。本研究旨在阐明空间注意和空间认知的性别差异产生的条件。

We often fail to notice objects or events that occur outside central vision, even when they may be highly visible. To avoid a collision, a driver must notice the car coming from the right. To prevent a fall, we must sidestep the toy left on the floor. Indeed, many important activities rely on our ability to notice unexpected changes in peripheral vision. Failing to notice these changes can sometimes have serious consequences. While psychological science has made great strides in understanding the mechanisms of visual attention, most research has concentrated on a small central region that is less than 10% of the total visual field. Furthermore, most studies have involved static environments; but in applied situations (e.g. driving) attention is often deployed in a dynamic environment. It is unclear whether the results of traditional research may be safely generalized to an extended visual field under high rates of optical flow. We will develop novel methods of measuring attention over the extended visual field in static and dynamic contexts. We will build, evaluate, and apply a statistical model of how attention is deployed. The model will incorporate temporal factors and influences that bias deployment. The model will provide a framework for assessing the performance of relevant activities (e.g. driving) under varying demands (e.g. while conversing). We will explore innovative methods of cognitive training designed to enhance the attentional visual field and we will investigate the associated mechanisms of perceptual learning. In addition, we will investigate the role of spatial attention and visual working memory in higher level cognitive tasks (particularly mental rotation). The new knowledge will be of benefit in tackling a wide range of problems, including vehicle crashes, falls in the elderly, and the design of information displays. The research will clarify the conditions under which gender differences are observed in spatial attention and spatial cognition.