Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 29, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
Published on: March 18, 2019
Visuospatial attention: beyond a spotlight model
1kyle.r.cave@vanderbilt.edu
Abstract:
Much of the research in visual attention has been driven by the spotlight metaphor. This metaphor has been useful over many years for generating experimental questions in attention research. However, theories and models of visual selection have reached such a level of complexity that debate now centers around more specific questions about the nature of attention. In this review, the general question "Is visual attention like a spotlight?" is broken down into seven specific questions concerning the nature of visual attention, and the evidence relevant to each is examined. The answers to these specific questions provide important clues about why visual selection is necessary and what purpose attention plays in visual cognition.
Related Concept Videos
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Perceptual Constancy
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...
Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Gestalt Principles of Perception
The Anchoring-and-Adjustment Heuristic
Visual Agnosia

