In one of the earliest studies of visual attention, Helmholtz (1894) constructed a screen on which letters were painted at various distances from the center. Following a brief illumination, he found that
A)he could perceive letters located within the focus of his attention better than letters outside, even when his eyes remained at the center of the screen.
B)he could remember all the letters on the screen if he scanned the screen with his eyes prior to the brief illumination.
C)he could perceive letters located within the focus of his attention better than letters outside, but only if he moved his eyes to bring the letters to the center of his visual field.
D)he could remember all the letters on the screen, demonstrating that visual iconic memory increases in capacity with attentional focus.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Helmholtz found that he could perceive letters located within the focus of his attention better than letters outside, even when his eyes remained at the center of the screen. This suggests that attention plays a critical role in visual perception, allowing us to selectively process information within our visual field.

In One of the Earliest Studies of Visual Attention, Helmholtz