Real person interaction in visual attention research

Cole, Geoff G.; Skarratt, Paul A.; Kuhn, Gustav

Abstract

© 2016 Hogrefe Publishing. An important development in cognitive psychology in the past decade has been the examination of visual attention during real social interaction. This contrasts traditional laboratory studies of attention, including "social attention," in which observers perform tasks alone. In this review, we show that although the loneobserver method has been central to attention research, real person interaction paradigms have not only uncovered the processes that occur during "joint attention," but have also revealed attentional processes previously thought not to occur. Furthermore, the examination of some visual attention processes almost invariably requires the use of real person paradigms. While we do not argue for an increase in "ecological validity" for its own sake, we do suggest that research using real person interaction has greatly benefited the development of visual attention theories.

Citation

Cole, G. G., Skarratt, P. A., & Kuhn, G. (2016). Real person interaction in visual attention research. European psychologist, 21(2), 141-149. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000243

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 10, 2015
• Online Publication Date: May 27, 2016
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Feb 17, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 1, 2016
• Journal: European psychologist
• Print ISSN: 1016-9040
• Publisher: Hogrefe
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 141-149
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000243
• Keywords: Visual cognition, Cognitive ethology, Social attention, Ecological validity
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/385531
• Publisher URL: http://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1027/1016-9040/a000243?journalCode=epp
• Additional Information: This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in European psychologist. It is not the version of record and is therefore not suitable for citation.
• Contract Date: Feb 17, 2016