This experiment explores the phenomena that people tend not to perceive repeated patterns appearing within about half a second. Subjects look at a CRT screen showing rapid sequences of alphanumeric characters. Target characters are colored.
Subjects type into the keyboard the identities of the target characters.
In certain trials subjects are also given a memory load of three other characters which they will need to remember and repeat at the end of the trial. Response time and accuracy data are collected. Possible interference in the task by implementing a memory load, and variations in search difficulty with different numbers or distractors are used to make inferences about the cognitive processes underlying visual search performance.