Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Institute of Sports Science, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
Psychol Res. 2021 Nov;85(8):2900-2910. doi: 10.1007/s00426-020-01463-5. Epub 2021 Jan 20.
Several studies have evaluated the distribution of visuo-spatial attention in a wayfinding task, using gaze direction as an indicator for the locus of attention. We extended that work by evaluating how visuo-spatial attention is modified by wayfinding practice. Young and older participants followed prescribed routes through a virtual city on six trials. Each trial was followed by a route recall test, where participants saw screenshots of intersections encountered, and had to indicate which way to proceed. Behavioral and gaze data were registered in those tests. Wayfinding accuracy increased from trial to trial, more so in young than in older persons. Total gaze time, mean fixation time, and the vertical scatter of fixations decreased from trial to trial, similarly in young and older persons. The horizontal scatter of fixations did not differ between trials and age groups. The incidence of fixations on the subsequently chosen side also did not differ between trials, but it increased in older age. We interpret these findings as evidence that as wayfinding practice increased, participants gradually narrowed their attentional focus to the most relevant screenshot area, processed information within this focus more efficiently, reduced the total time in which attention dwelled on the rejected side of the screenshot, but maintained the total time on the chosen side. These dynamic changes of visuo-spatial attention were comparable in young and older participants. However, it appears that decision-making differed between age groups: older persons' attention dwelled longer on the chosen side before they made their choice.
已有多项研究通过注视方向评估寻路任务中的视空间注意力分布，将其作为注意力焦点的指标。我们通过评估寻路实践如何改变视空间注意力，扩展了这一工作。年轻和年长参与者在六个试验中按照规定的路线穿过一个虚拟城市。每个试验后都有一个路线回忆测试，参与者会看到遇到的十字路口的截图，并必须指示前进的方向。在这些测试中记录了行为和注视数据。寻路准确性逐次提高，年轻参与者比年长参与者提高得更明显。注视时间总量、平均注视时间和注视的垂直分散度逐次减少，在年轻和年长参与者中情况类似。注视的水平分散度在试验和年龄组之间没有差异。注视固定在随后选择的一侧的发生率在试验之间也没有差异，但在老年时增加。我们将这些发现解释为证据，表明随着寻路实践的增加，参与者逐渐将注意力焦点缩小到最相关的截图区域，更有效地处理该焦点内的信息，减少了在被拒绝的截图侧注意力停留的总时间，但保持了在选定侧的总时间。这些视空间注意力的动态变化在年轻和年长参与者中是可比的。然而，决策似乎在年龄组之间存在差异：年长参与者在做出选择之前，会在选定的一侧停留更长时间。
