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No stone unturned: Prevalence effects in interactive search are different than those in visual search

Two experiments found that rare targets were still more often missed in an interactive search, despite searchers being similarly exhaustive. Most errors occurred after the target had been revealed or was visible.

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Why it matters: Physical coverage is not detection. In terrain search, checking concealed spaces, changing viewpoint and moving vegetation may be necessary—but a clue or subject can still be visually rejected after exposure.

Limitations and transferability: Virtual cube-search experiments, not field SAR. Useful human-factors evidence for training observation and recognition; it does not establish ground-search POD, spacing or sweep width.

Training influence: Include “revealed but not recognised” injects: subjects/clues visible only after a change of viewpoint or disturbance. Assess scan discipline, explicit recognition criteria and confirmation between searchers.

SAR training sections: Visual search; clue awareness; ground-search tactics; searcher spacing and coverage; team-leader practice.

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