How does colour predict multiple object tracking performance? The role of surface feature in attentive tracking

Simultaneously tracking multiple unique dynamic objects, such as watching soccer games, is common in everyday life. However, the role of intragroup and intergroup features in this cognitive process remains unclear. We set up different colour combinations to investigate the effect of distinctiveness between target and distractor sets (DTD), the complexity of the target set (CT) and distractor set (CD) on multiple object tracking (MOT) on PCs and iPads, and used multiple linear regression to fit the relationship between these factors and tracking performance. The models support our hypothesis, showing that DTD contributes most to the interpretation of tracking performance, followed by CT, while CD has no effect. Furthermore, CT effect is modulated by DTD level. This study demonstrates that DTD and CT jointly contribute to predicting MOT performance regardless of devices. Thus, it would provide the theoretical basis for the future development of MOT-based cognitive applications on mobile devices.