A STUDY OF METHODS OF CODING VISUAL INFORMATION
Abstract
Information presented in a visual display may be coded along one or more dimensions. Studies were made to determine if the transmitted information could be increased by using multi-dimensional stimuli. Near-perfect recognition accuracy was obtained with as many as 400 different stimuli when the three dimensions of color, form, and cross-hatching were used. Recognition accuracy was somewhat better with alphanumeric stimuli. Alpha-numeric stimuli can be considered a rather complex coding dimension based on shape or form which takes advantage of the individual's extensive past training in language usage. Both search time and inspection time increased with information load. The results indicate the potential usefulness of alphanumeric stimuli in the coding of visual information, and suggested the general principle that, for rapid transmission of information, the number of symbols should be minimized while the uncertainty of each individual symbol should be maximized. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 31, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0283658
Entities
People
- Bennet B. Jr. Murdock
Organizations
- University of Vermont