Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
05:58
Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking
Published on: August 29, 2018
Consequences of display changes during interrupted visual search: rapid resumption is target specific
Alejandro Lleras1, Ronald A Rensink, James T Enns
1Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61820, USA. alleras@uiuc.edu
Perception & Psychophysics
|November 21, 2007
Summary
Visual search resumes faster after interruptions if the target is familiar. Changes to irrelevant target features don't hinder resumption, but changes to relevant features do, highlighting target specificity in visual memory.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Visual search is often interrupted, and memory plays a key role in resuming search.
- Previous research shows faster resumption from familiar displays compared to new ones.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how changes to a visual display during an interruption affect rapid search resumption.
- To determine the specificity of visual memory supporting rapid search resumption.
Main Methods:
- Experiments involved interrupting visual search tasks with brief display changes.
- The study manipulated target and distractor features and locations during interruptions.
- Participants' search resumption times were measured after different display modifications.
Main Results:
- Rapid resumption depended on the prior presentation of the target, not just distractors.
- Relocating distractors did not affect rapid resumption.
- Changes to response-irrelevant target features did not eliminate rapid resumption.
- Changes to response-relevant target features eliminated rapid resumption.
Conclusions:
- Rapid visual search resumption is highly specific to the target item.
- These findings support reentrant theories of visual awareness and attention.
