Research On The Influence Of Field-dependent Cognitive Style And Background Color On Path Search

Visual search includes point search and path search. To investigate the influence that made by color in the process of path search, and whether this effect was constrained by the subject's cognitive style, 83 college students from a university in Nanjing were invited to participate in the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT). Besides, they completed the set of path search tasks. The study investigated the influence of the complexity of stimulating graphs and genders. A 5×2×3×2 mixed factors design was adopted. Background colors (red, yellow, blue, green, white), graphics complexity(simple, complex), cognitive style (field-independence, intermediate type, field-dependence). gender (male, female). Background colors and the complexity of graphic were the within-group design. Cognitive style and gender factors were the independent groups design. The dependent variables were experiment accuracy and reaction time.Results revealed that:(1) In the process of path search, the interaction between background colors and gender significantly showed that the seeking speed of males were much faster than that of females under blue and white background;(2) In the path search, the background colors interacted with graphics complexity,what's more, there were obvious gender differences. In the simple condition, gender differences were significant in a blue background and in the complex condition,gender differences were significant in a white background;(3) The main effect of cognitive style showed significant in the process of path search, the search speed of field independent subjects was always faster than that of intermediate type and field dependent type; In the complex condition, the reaction time of field-independent subjects was significantly less than that of other groups.Conclusions:(1) In different background colors, the two genders behaved quite differently in the process of path search, especially in blue background;(2) In the path search, the participants of field independence had significant advantages.(3) The interaction of color feature?complexity and subjective factors in the process of path search, constitute of a complex perceptual motion information processing.