The Effects Of Distractors’ Number And Feature On Selective Inhibition In Multiple Object Tracking

MOT is widely used paradigm in the study of dynamic situation and parallel information processing within the attention area. This study employing dot detection in the MOT task aimed to investigate the population’s differences of the tracking task and inhibition performance by manipulating the number and feather of the distractors.This research included 2 sub-researches,4 experiments in total. In study1, the different feature referred to the moving pattern of the distractors. In exp1, the number of static distractors was 4,5 or 6, however, the number of moving distractors was 4. Instead, in exp2, the setting of the distractors’ number was the very opposite of exp1. In study2, the different feature referred to the color of the distractors. In exp3, the number of the distractors which were inconsistent with the color of the targets was 4, 5 or 6, while the number of the distractors which were consistent with the color of the targets was 4. In exp4, the setting of the distractors’ number was the very opposite of exp3. In terms of the tracking accuracy, a 2×3×3 mixed design was employed, with the independent factors containing the population (ordinary college students and basketball athletes), probe dot locations (non-probe, probe dot presented in distractors consistent with the targets and distractors inconsistent with the targets) and the number of the distractors (4,5,6); the dependent factors were the tracking accuracy. In respect of the degrees of distractor inhibition, a 2×2×3 mixed design was employed, with the independent factors containing the population (ordinary adults and basketball athletes), the location that the probe occurred (distractors consistent with the targets and distractors inconsistent with the targets) and the number of the distractors (4,5,6); the dependent factors are the degree of distractor inhibition. Both results were statistical analyzed by mixed repeated measures analysis of variance.Results:(1) In terms of the tracking accuracy, when there were 6 distractors, the tracking accuracy was significantly lower than the situation when there were 4 and 5 distractors.(2) As far as the degree of inhibition, there was an interaction between the probe location and the number of distractors.When the number of distractors is 4 and 5, the difference of the inhibition was insignificant in different probe locations. But when there were 6 distractors, the inhibition on distractors consistent with the target was lower than distractors inconsistent with the target.(3) In study 3 and 4, there was a significant interaction between probe location and population. When probe dot presented in distractors inconsistent with the targets, the inhibition of basketball players was significantly higher than ordinary adults. But when probe dot presented in distractors consistent with the targets, the inhibition of basketball players was lower than ordinary adults.Conclusion:(1) With difficulty of the task increasing, accuracy of tracking is declining.(2) In MOT task, the current study supports the theory of visual index and object-based inhibition within the visual capacity. While beyond visual capacity, the study supports the object file theory and feature-based inhibition.(3) When changing the color of distractors, the performance of basketball players are different from the ordinary adults in terms of the inhibition situation, which means that population from different training background have separately distinct selective inhibition mechanism.