Visual 'gist' helps us figure out where a crowd is looking
Monday, August 18, 2014 - 14:31
in Psychology & Sociology
Have you ever seen a crowd of people looking off into the distance, perhaps toward a passing biker or up to the top of a building? You probably looked there, too, instantly, even without paying attention to the individuals in the group. Researchers have discovered that we rely on a specialized visual process known as 'ensemble coding' to perceive where a crowd is looking.