Visual Perception of Structured Symbols

A set of psychological experiments was conducted to explore the effects of stimulus structure on visual search processes. Results of the experiments, in which subjects searched for target stimuli among numerous other stimuli that served as distractors in stimulus displays, provide clear indications of interactive effects on visual search time of stimulus structure and the structure of the viewing context. Certain configurations were found that facilitated search and others that impeded search .. Specific contexts were identified that influenced the speed with which target stimuli having particular structural characteristics may be found. These findings emphasize the importance of considering such relationships in selecting stimulus configurations for use as symbols in automated displays.