Subitizing, counting, and multiple-object tracking: constraints on item individuation as they affect participants of different ages

这项研究的目的是找出同时监控几个视觉对象的能力是如何从童年到老年发展和变化的。我将使用两个不同的任务：枚举任务，观察者尽可能准确地说出有多少物品；以及多对象跟踪任务，观察者跟踪一些物品在其他物品之间移动时的位置。虽然这两个任务看起来非常不同，但它们都涉及一次感知许多不同实体的能力。列举是很重要的，因为“一目了然”的能力是儿童发展数字概念的基础。数学障碍和阅读障碍一样普遍，但人们对它们知之甚少。然而，最近的研究表明，基本列举技能的问题与更普遍的数学障碍的发展之间存在联系。多目标跟踪涉及到物品的移动，因此，是视觉-运动协调的基础。例如，在繁忙的十字路口开车需要跟踪行人、骑自行车的人和汽车的位置。了解多目标跟踪中与年龄相关的变化可能有助于解释为什么老年司机在十字路口面临不成比例的风险。例如，Preusser等人。(1998)显示，65-69岁的司机在十字路口发生撞车事故的风险是其他司机的2.26倍，而发生其他类型撞车事故的风险只是其他类型的1.29倍。85岁及以上的司机在十字路口发生撞车的风险是其他类型撞车的3.74倍，是10.62倍。因此，对多目标跟踪的研究可能会使加拿大受益，因为它可能被用来减少涉及老年司机(驾驶人口中越来越多的部分)的车祸数量。总体而言，这些研究的结果将对视觉注意力和寿命发展的基础研究具有重要意义。此外，由于了解障碍需要有关受影响年龄段的正常功能的信息，这些信息可能对治疗患有注意力缺陷障碍、自闭症、阿尔茨海默病、精神分裂症和忽视等注意力相关障碍的医生有用。

The objective for this research is to find out how the ability to monitor several visual objects at once develops and changes from childhood to old age. I will use two different tasks: the enumeration task, in which observers say how many items there are as fast as they can with accuracy, and the multiple-object tracking task, in which observers keep track of the positions of a number of items as they move among other items. Although these tasks seem very different, they both involve the ability to be aware of a number of distinct entities at a time. Enumeration is important insofar as the ability to "know at a glance" the number of items is fundamental to the development of the number concept in children. Math disabilities are as prevalent as reading disabilities and yet little is known about them. However, recent studies suggest a link between problems in basic enumeration skills and the development of more pervasive mathematical disabilities. Multiple-object tracking involves item movement, and as such, is fundamental to visual-motor coordination. For example, driving through a busy intersection requires tracking positions of pedestrians, cyclists, and cars. Understanding age-related change in multiple-object tracking may help explain why older drivers are disproportionately at risk at intersections. For example, Preusser et  al. (1998) showed that drivers aged 65-69 years were 2.26 times more at risk at intersections than other drivers, while only 1.29 times more at risk for other types of crash. Drivers 85 years and older were 10.62 times more at risk at intersections as compared to 3.74 for other types of crash. Consequently, research on multiple-object tracking may benefit Canada insofar as it may be used to reduce the number of vehicle crashes involving older drivers (a growing segment of the driving population). Overall, the results of these studies will be important for basic research on visual attention and lifespan development. As well, because understanding disorders requires information about normal functioning for the affected age groups, this information may be useful for practitioners treating individuals with attention-related disorders, such as Attention Deficit Disorder, autism, Alzheimer's Disease, schizophrenia, and neglect.