Luke's Research Summary 3
Luke Hachmeister
Research Summary #3
PSY 334, Cognitive Psychology
April 24th, 2008
Flashing Lights Impact on Cognitive Performance
Flashing lights negatively impact a subject’s ability to comprehend messages and remember them. Not only does the flashing negatively impact the observation of the object itself, the subject is more likely to miss other stimuli when trying to view the object. This can cause situations where a subject will become oblivious to anything but a flashing object while they attempt to identify and comprehend it. Objects that are completely static have a much higher visual retention rate than those who are flashing. Individuals who play video games regularly suffer less from these effects and have a higher retention rate. Flashing can be used for testing purposes. They are simple, easy to identify stimuli. This decreases the likelihood of outside interference during testing procedures.
Article 7
“Dynamic” Signage: Research Related to Driver Distraction and Ordinance Recommendations, SRF Consulting Group, Inc.
http://www.lmnc.org/pdfs/LMCITMemos/SignStudy.pdf
Flashing lights and flashing text have either null or negative effect on the reader’s ability to comprehend a message. Static images had much higher comprehension and retention rates than images that had movement or flashing. Billboards using flashing lights or other movement adversely impact driving performance. Flashing lights in traffic are regulated by many laws ranging from the federal to city level. Signs with flashing lights are now being regulated on all levels of government. This is leading to a backlash from the companies who put up these signs. However, if the signs were static, studies are showing they would be having greater effect.
Article 8
Your brain on video games, APA Online
http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb07/yourbrain.html
Individuals who regularly play video games have much higher visual search ranges and are less distracted by outside stimuli. They typically have better visual retention and comprehension as well as dealing with normal cognitive tasks while distracted. Their visual searches are typically more accurate, faster, and broader than non-gamers by significant margins.
Article 9
How Are Visuospatial Working Memory, Executive Functioning, and Spatial Abilities Related? A Latent-Variable Analysis, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 2001. Vol. 130. No. 4. 621-640
http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/xge1304621.pdf
Flashing boxes provide an easily comprehended target for psychological testing. This stimulus is easily modified to prevent certain task optimizations, and the flashing decreases the amount of outside stimuli that is taken in by the subject. Flashing lights can provide useful functions as long as they do not interfere with a subject’s ability to perceive other stimuli and events occurring around them.
