Display probability modulates attentional capture by onset distractors.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Visual Perception

Background:

• Attention is categorized as stimulus-driven (bottom-up) or goal-driven (top-down).
• Bottom-up attentional capture by salient distractors is often viewed as automatic and non-modifiable.
• Previous research indicates some modulation by distractor probabilities, but used color distractors, which may not strongly elicit bottom-up attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether onset distractors, which strongly elicit bottom-up attention, are also subject to modulation.
• To determine if statistical learning, based on distractor display probabilities, influences attentional capture by onset distractors.
• To provide further evidence against the complete automaticity of bottom-up attention.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed a visual search task.
• Onset distractors were presented, appearing after other search items.
• The display probabilities of these onset distractors were systematically varied.

Main Results:

• Attentional capture by onset distractors was significantly modulated by their display probabilities.
• This modulation suggests that bottom-up attention is not entirely automatic.
• The findings support the role of statistical learning in modulating attentional capture.

Conclusions:

• Bottom-up attentional processes, even those strongly eliciting attention like onset distractors, are not completely automatic.
• Statistical learning, driven by experience with distractor probabilities, plays a role in modulating attentional capture.
• This research challenges the notion of purely automatic bottom-up attention and highlights its flexibility.