Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Attentional capture with various distractor and target types.

G Chastain1, M Cheal

  • 1Boise State University, Idaho, USA.

Perception & Psychophysics
|October 2, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Nonpredictive visual distractors, even without creating new objects, can capture attention. This attentional capture occurs regardless of whether target events are predictable or not.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Allocation of visual attention depends on type of precue.

Genetic, social, and general psychology monographs·2002
Same author

Time course of attention effects with abrupt-onset and offset single- and multiple-element precues.

The American journal of psychology·2000
Same author

Attention effects of abrupt-onset precues with central, single-element, and multiple-element precues.

Consciousness and cognition·1999
Same author

Inhibition of return: support for generality of the phenomenon.

The Journal of general psychology·1999
Same author

Attention effects of moving and stationary single-element and multiple-element precues: limits of automaticity.

Perception & psychophysics·1998
Same author

Parafoveal identification asymmetry: interactive effects of shape and color.

Genetic, social, and general psychology monographs·1998

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Visual Perception
  • Attention Studies

Background:

  • Attentional capture describes how salient stimuli involuntarily draw attention.
  • Understanding factors influencing attentional capture is crucial for visual processing models.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of nonpredictive visual distractors on attentional capture.
  • To determine if distractor properties (luminance, size, shape) influence capture.
  • To test existing hypotheses of attentional capture against experimental data.

Main Methods:

  • Three experiments were conducted using visual stimuli.
  • Nonpredictive distractors involving changes in luminance, size, or shape were presented.
  • Target stimuli (onsets and offsets) were presented at various locations relative to distractors.
  • Accuracy on target detection was measured.

Main Results:

  • Attentional capture was demonstrated, with accuracy higher when distractors were near targets.
  • Capture occurred irrespective of target predictability (blocked vs. mixed).
  • Distractors captured attention even when they did not form new perceptual objects.

Conclusions:

  • Existing theories like singleton-detection mode or contingent involuntary orienting do not fully explain the findings.
  • Attentional capture by nonpredictive distractors appears to be influenced by multiple task-specific factors.

Related Experiment Videos