ABSTRACT
During visual search, a number of processes operate to direct the eyes efficiently to the search target. Our understanding of these processes has advanced considerably in the last 10 years, and this chapter gives a perspective about how the eyes are controlled during search activity. During each fixation, visual information is analyzed in a way that emphasizes the central part of the visual field. This analysis proceeds in parallel on the basis of an internal salience map, which develops over time. The point of highest salience is selected as the saccade destination. There is no convincing evidence supporting serial scanning by covert attentional processes within a normal fixation during free viewing. However; the analysis may be assisted by information gained during the preceding fixation through the process of non-foveal preview. If the analysis is adequate to locate the search target, the eyes are moved to it; otherwise, a new fixation location is selected. Particularly with large search displays, more strategic processes are also important that distribute fixations over the area to be searched.
