Field of Research "Attention in 3D Space"
A central question in cognitive psychology is how people can selectively process certain pieces of environmental information amid all the information that is available at any given moment in time. The solution to this problem is thought to lie in attention mechanisms. These mechanisms are believed to coordinate a limited amount of processing resources in such a way that relevant information can be selected and further processed, while irrelevant information is ignored.
Almost all existing studies and models of spatial attention have focused on visual processing in 2D (planar) space. Our visual attention system has, however, evolved to deal with visual processing in 3D space. It is therefore unclear whether and to what degree the attention mechanisms studied in 2D space generalize to the processing of information in 3D space (in particular, in depth).
One central aim of our research is to determine whether the operation of attention mechanisms in depth is comparable to that proposed for 2D space, and whether existing models of attention need to be extended and/or altered. A better understanding of how attention is allocated in 3D space is not only important for furthering basic research, but is also critical for assessing human-machine interfaces. Indeed, modern versions of such interfaces attempt to support and take advantage of (3D) perception- and action-related processes. It is therefore critical that the testing and development of these interfaces are based on adequate empirical findings and theoretical concepts.
Selected Publications: