University Presentation Showcase: Graduate Division
Here’s the T: Repeated search tasks result in reduced search efficiency.
Presenter Hometown
Richmond, KY
Major
Experimental Psychology
Department
Psychology
Degree
Graduate
Mentor
Alexander Varakin
Mentor Department
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Stuart, Katherine; Varakin, Alexander D.; and Pesina, Steven, "Here’s the T: Repeated search tasks result in reduced search efficiency." (2026). University Presentation Showcase Event. 7.
https://encompass.eku.edu/swps/2026/graduate/7
Abstract
Sometimes searching through the same configuration can increase efficiency (e.g. contextual cuing), while other times searching through the same configuration has no effect on efficiency (e.g. repeated search). Pesina & Varakin (2020; VSS) found that repeatedly searching through the same configuration where targets were placed in previous distractor locations resulted in reduced search efficiency. The current experiments seek to replicate and extend Pesina & Varakin (2020, 2025; VSS Poster). In the search task, participants (N=154) searched a visual display for a rotated T amongst rotated L’s with varying set sizes (8,12, or 16) over a series of 8 trials. In the target replaces distractor condition (TRD) stimuli were replaced in previous distractor locations, and in the target replaces empty condition (TRE) stimuli were replaced in previously empty locations. In our previous experiments, participants were informed that configurations would repeat for 8 consecutive trials and that the target location would not repeat. In the current experiment, participants did not receive these instructions - participants were only instructed to search for T’s among L’s. The results replicated those of previous experiments. In the TRD condition, search efficiency changed from ~40.6 ms/item to 52.5 ms/item from the first to the eighth repetition. In the TRE condition, the search efficiency changed from 47.0 ms/item to 38.5 ms/item from the first to second repetition, then changed to 50.0 ms/item by the eighth repetition. (Varakin, 2025) Our results are consistent with previous experiments, suggesting that the reduced search efficiency is not due to location-specific inhibition-carryover effects from trial to trial, and is not impacted by lack of instructions about the repetition.
Varakin, D., Frye, E., & Pesina, S. (2025). “Repeated search can make search slower and less efficient: A replication and extension.” Journal of Vision, 25(9), 2528. https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.25.9.2528.
Presentation format
Poster
Here’s the T: Repeated search tasks result in reduced search efficiency.
Sometimes searching through the same configuration can increase efficiency (e.g. contextual cuing), while other times searching through the same configuration has no effect on efficiency (e.g. repeated search). Pesina & Varakin (2020; VSS) found that repeatedly searching through the same configuration where targets were placed in previous distractor locations resulted in reduced search efficiency. The current experiments seek to replicate and extend Pesina & Varakin (2020, 2025; VSS Poster). In the search task, participants (N=154) searched a visual display for a rotated T amongst rotated L’s with varying set sizes (8,12, or 16) over a series of 8 trials. In the target replaces distractor condition (TRD) stimuli were replaced in previous distractor locations, and in the target replaces empty condition (TRE) stimuli were replaced in previously empty locations. In our previous experiments, participants were informed that configurations would repeat for 8 consecutive trials and that the target location would not repeat. In the current experiment, participants did not receive these instructions - participants were only instructed to search for T’s among L’s. The results replicated those of previous experiments. In the TRD condition, search efficiency changed from ~40.6 ms/item to 52.5 ms/item from the first to the eighth repetition. In the TRE condition, the search efficiency changed from 47.0 ms/item to 38.5 ms/item from the first to second repetition, then changed to 50.0 ms/item by the eighth repetition. (Varakin, 2025) Our results are consistent with previous experiments, suggesting that the reduced search efficiency is not due to location-specific inhibition-carryover effects from trial to trial, and is not impacted by lack of instructions about the repetition.
Varakin, D., Frye, E., & Pesina, S. (2025). “Repeated search can make search slower and less efficient: A replication and extension.” Journal of Vision, 25(9), 2528. https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.25.9.2528.
