Volume 5, Number 8, Abstract 641, Page 641a doi:10.1167/5.8.641 http://journalofvision.org/5/8/641/ ISSN 1534-7362
How many objects can you track? Evidence for a flexible tracking resource
George A. Alvarez
Harvard University
[e-mail]
Steven L. Franconeri
University of British Columbia
Abstract

The number of moving objects that can be tracked with attention is often reported to be 4, suggesting that there is a “structural limit” on tracking. We show that the tracking limit is not fixed, but depends systematically on the speed of the objects, such that at slow speeds observers can track 8 targets as well as a single target moving at a fast speed. Critically, the function relating the speed limit to the number of targets tracked is continuous, without any noticeable break in the 3-5 target range, suggesting that tracking accuracy is limited only by the amount of resources devoted to each target, not by a structural limitation. Method: Observers performed a multiple object tracking task in which they tracked 1-8 circles among a set of 16 identical moving circles. In session 1, observers adjusted the speed of the objects to find the maximum speed at which they could perfectly track the targets for 5 seconds. In session 2, we verified the accuracy of these settings by having observers track 1-8 targets moving at their “personal” speed limit for each number of targets. Results: With each increase in the number of targets, the speed limit decreased significantly. Moreover, the function was continuous, without any noticeable discontinuities in the 3-5 object range (r = .998 between speed and log of the number of targets). All speed settings were greater than zero indicating that on average observers estimated there was a speed at which they could perfectly track as many as 8 moving targets. It also appears that observers were able to accurately estimate their speed limits for tracking different numbers of targets, as tracking performance was near 100% for each number of targets in the second session and did not differ for different numbers of targets. Conclusion: These results are inconsistent with models that assume a fixed 4 object limit on tracking, and suggest that that tracking capacity is limited only by the amount of resources devoted to each target.

History
Received September 15, 2005; published September 23, 2005
Citation
Alvarez, G. A., & Franconeri, S. L. (2005). How many objects can you track? Evidence for a flexible tracking resource [Abstract]. Journal of Vision, 5(8):641, 641a, http://journalofvision.org/5/8/641/, doi:10.1167/5.8.641.
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