Abstract
Is multiple object tracking (MOT) limited by a fixed set of structures (slots), a limited but divisible resource, or both? Here, we answer this question by measuring the precision of the direction representation for tracked targets. The signature of a limited resource is a decrease in precision as the square root of the tracking load. The signature of fixed slots is a fixed precision. Hybrid models predict a rapid decrease to asymptotic precision. In two experiments, observers tracked moving disks and reported target motion direction by adjusting a probe arrow. We derived the precision of representation of correctly tracked targets using a mixture distribution analysis. Precision declined with target load according to the square-root law up to six targets. This finding is inconsistent with both pure and hybrid slot models. Instead, directional information in MOT appears to be limited by a continuously divisible resource.
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This research was funded by NIH Grant MH 75576 to T.S.H.
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Horowitz, T.S., Cohen, M.A. Direction information in multiple object tracking is limited by a graded resource. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics 72, 1765–1775 (2010). https://doi.org/10.3758/APP.72.7.1765
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/APP.72.7.1765