Elsevier

Cognitive Development

Volume 20, Issue 3, July–September 2005, Pages 373-387
Cognitive Development

Multiple-object tracking in children: The “Catch the Spies” task

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2005.05.009Get rights and content

Abstract

Multiple-object tracking involves simultaneously tracking positions of a number of target-items as they move among distractors. The standard version of the task poses special challenges for children, demanding extended concentration and the ability to distinguish targets from identical-looking distractors, and may thus underestimate children's tracking abilities. As a result, a modified version of the task called “Catch the Spies” was developed. Participants tracked one to four moving “spies” (targets) that had “disguised” themselves so that they could blend in with a crowd of 10 people (happy-faces). Tracking accuracy was measured in five age groups (6, 8, 10, 12, and 19 years old). All performed well above chance though there were age-related increases in the number that could be tracked at once. Overall, when the effects of age were statistically controlled, tracking performance was significantly better for action videogame players than non-players, and marginally better for action-sports participants than non-participants.

Section snippets

Participants

The 97 participants were from five age groups: 6, 8, 10, 12, and 19 years (see Table 1). The children were from a local school whereas the 19-year-old participants were from the university participant-pool. Data from participants diagnosed with visual or attentional learning disabilities were excluded from these analyses, as were data from participants who had failed a grade.

Apparatus and materials

Testing was done on Macintosh G4 PowerBooks that had 21.5 cm × 32.5 cm viewing screens. The tracking field (the area in which

Results

The dependent measure was the percentage of accurately identified targets. Thus, in a given trial, if a participant only identified three of the four targets that they were required to track, their accuracy would be 75%. Accuracy was measured as a function of age (6, 8, 10, 12 and 19 years) and number of targets (one to four). Because no main effects or interactions involving the sex of the participant emerged (F < 1 for all), data for males and females were combined.

Participants of all ages

Discussion

This study shows that age has significant effects on tracking performance in the 10 item “Catch the Spies” task, and the effects are particularly pronounced when there are three or four targets. This study also provides preliminary evidence that performance in the “Catch the Spies” task may be related to reported experience with real-life visual-motor tasks such as playing action-videogames and sports. However, before firm conclusions can be made this association needs to be replicated,

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (238641-01). We would like to thank the following individuals: Jim Enns, Mary Ann Evans, and Zenon Pylyshyn for early discussions on the feasibility of this project (and ducks in disguise!); Brian Scholl for software consultation and helpful comments on an earlier draft of the paper; Ernest Dalrymple-Alford, Ian Newby-Clark and Christopher Roney for statistical and editorial advice; and

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