Target following requires the use of your visual smooth pursuit system. Our best understanding of this part of the visual system is that it uses speed and direction to track the target.
Think of tracking a plane moving through the sky. If that plane goes behind a cloud, you are still able to anticipate when and where it will emerge from.
Understanding this lets us know two things that challenge target following:
- Rapid changes in speed (acceleration/deceleration)
- Direction changes
But there are a few other factors that can challenge this system as well.
- Our brain filters out the background images when focused on the moving target, but the more complex the background, the more the brain must filter out. Thus, the more complex the background, the more challenging it is to target follow.
- A bright target vs. a dim target. This is target saliency. Our visual system prefers a high contrast target. Low contrast targets are harder to follow, this is why camouflage is effective.
Highly developed visual smooth pursuit systems can track a low contrast target in a complex background. [1]
Training this aspect of your visual system allows you to optimize your ability to target follow even in the most visually stimulating environments.
Knowledge is only potential power. We must take action to see results.
How are you training to optimize your target following? How can you make yourself harder to be followed?
REFERENCES:
- Leigh, R., & Zee, D. (2015- 06). The Neurology of Eye Movements. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.