PERC 2015 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Attention differences in viewing physics diagrams among experts and novices |
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| Abstract: | We present an experiment in which subjects with differing levels of physics experience were timed in their ability to detect small changes in nearly identical pairs of diagrams that are representative of typical introductory physics situations. It was hypothesized that higher physics expertise would guide attention and result in faster detection times for those changes that affected the physics, whereas no expertise advantage in detection times would result for changes that did not affect the physics. Our findings partially confirmed the hypothesis. We present results on how the response time for noticing physics-relevant changes in the diagram pairs is faster than for physics-irrelevant changes for those with more extensive physics experience and slower for those with less extensive physics experience. We discuss the cognitive implications of our findings. |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Jason W. Morphew University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Educational Psychology |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Jose P. Mestre University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Depts. of Educational Psychology and Physics Brian H. Ross University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Psychology |
Contributed Poster | |
| Contributed Poster: | Download the Contributed Poster |
