Abstract:

Riffling the pages of a book, perhaps in the search for a specific image, is an example of Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP). Even at a pace of 10 images per second, successful search is often possible. Interest in RSVP arises because a digital embodiment of RSVP has many applications.
There are many possible "modes" of RSVP. However, a mode can be especially helpful if, after the appearance of an image, and without delaying the arrival of other images, it can remain in view for a second or two to allow a user to confirm that a desired image has been found. Moreover, if a collection of images is presented in such a way as to be perceived as moving in 3D space, it is thought that the search for an individual image can thereby be enhanced by comparison with a 2D presentation.
To test this conjecture we devise and use the "Deep-Flat" visual illusion whereby a column of moving images magnifying in size is perceived as approaching the viewer as in a 3D space. When the images are presented in an equivalent way horizontally as a row, the viewer tends to see this as images growing in size, but now on a flat (2D) plane. We tested comparable RSVP designs in these two illusions to ascertain the relative effects of 2D and 3D style presentation under precisely controlled conditions. Elicited data included both performance measures (e.g., recognition success), and user preferences and opinions.
We established the effectiveness of RSVP using the illusion. When tested under directly comparable conditions, we concluded that performance is not significantly affected by the illusion of depth, but that the inclusion of certain background cues can have a significantly detrimental effect on performance.