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Published on: August 29, 2018
Oculomotor capture by colour singletons depends on intertrial priming
1School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, McElwain Building, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia. s.becker@psy.uq.edu.au
Vision Research
|August 10, 2010
Summary
Changes in distractor color, not just feature contrast, guide visual attention and eye movements. This suggests attention relies on specific feature information rather than early sensory input.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Visual Perception
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Visual search relies on attentional mechanisms to efficiently locate targets among distractors.
- Previous research indicates color singletons capture attention when distractor color varies across trials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how intertrial changes in distractor color influence oculomotor capture in visual search.
- To determine if feature-specific information or early feature contrast drives attentional capture.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a visual search task with an irrelevant color singleton distractor.
- The study manipulated distractor color and position across trials.
- Oculomotor capture was measured by tracking eye movements.
Main Results:
- Oculomotor capture by the color singleton occurred only when its features switched from the previous trial.
- Capture was also observed when the distractor occupied the same position as the previous trial's target.
- These effects were independent of simple feature contrast.
Conclusions:
- Attentional capture and eye movements are modulated by intertrial changes in distractor features, not solely by high feature contrast.
- Visual attention appears to be controlled by a system processing specific feature information and assessing its relevance.
- The findings challenge theories positing attention is driven by early, general feature contrast.
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