Salience-based object prioritization during active viewing of naturalistic scenes in young and older adults

This study investigates whether fixation selection in real-world scenes is guided by image salience or objects, comparing young and older adults. Generalized linear mixed models revealed that visual salience predicted fixation selection, but this effect was reduced in older adults. However, highly salient objects were more frequently fixated by older adults than by younger adults. Both age groups showed a preferred viewing location near the object center. The results support the importance of objects as units of saccadic selection, suggesting visual salience prioritizes among objects and its relevance increases with age.

Antje Nuthmann, Immo Schütz, Wolfgang Einhäuser