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Fixations are not all created equal: An objection to mindless visual search

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 May 2017

James T. Enns  and
Marcus R. Watson
James T. Enns
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada. jenns@psych.ubc.ca http://visionlab.psych.ubc.ca
Marcus R. Watson
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada. marcusrwatson@gmail.com
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Abstract

This call to revolution in theories of visual search does not go far enough. Treating fixations as uniform is an oversimplification that obscures the critical role of the mind. We remind readers that what happens during a fixation depends on mindset, as shown in studies of search strategy and of humans' ability to rapidly resume search following an interruption.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e138
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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