Evaluating the Influence of Visual Attentional Tracking on Pointing Movement Precision

Abstract

Multiple object tracking (MOT) and goal-directed movements are both based on attentional processes. This study focused on the instant effect of attentive tracking with respect to pointing performance. We measured the precision of pointing to the targets of an MOT task immediately after the tracking period when all the objects were still in motion, and to the precision of pointing to moving objects in the task without attentional tracking. The results demonstrated that an increase in the attentional tracking load was the primary factor that decreased pointing precision, although visual load may also contribute to this influence. We also manipulated the relationship between the number of targets and the density of the MOT display (the total number of objects displayed), which affected the MOT accuracy but not the pointing precision.

Keywords:

• multiple object tracking
• visual attentional tracking
• pointing movements
• moving objects
• pointing precision

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We wish to thank Hauke S. Meyerhoff and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful and valuable comments on a previous version of this manuscript. The publication of this article was financially supported by the Excellence Initiative Research University (IDUB) program at the University of Wroclaw.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).