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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
13:00
Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments
Published on: January 23, 2017
Value associations of irrelevant stimuli modify rapid visual orienting
Helena J V Rutherford1, Jennifer L O'Brien, Jane E Raymond
1Bangor University, Bangor, Wales.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|August 13, 2010
Summary
Prior experiences with monetary gains or losses influence visual attention. Reward-associated cues specifically slowed visual orienting to targets, demonstrating motivation
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Visual Attention Research
Background:
- Goal-directed visual behavior is influenced by prior learning.
- Task-irrelevant stimuli with reward or punishment associations can impact familiar environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if learned reward/punishment associations affect speeded visual orienting.
- To examine the impact of motivationally relevant cues on visual attention.
Main Methods:
- A two-phase experiment involving learning face-outcome associations (gains, losses, no outcome).
- Utilizing a classic visual orienting paradigm with peripheral, uninformative face cues.
- Measuring reaction times in a speeded target localization task with varying cue-target intervals and locations.
Main Results:
- Reward-associated cues significantly slowed responding at cued locations compared to punishment or no-value cues.
- This effect was observed regardless of the cue-target interval (100 or 1,500 msec).
- No effect was found when targets appeared at uncued locations.
Conclusions:
- Learned reward associations can rapidly influence low-level visual processing and orienting.
- The findings support adaptive models of inhibition of return.
- Motivationally charged stimuli exert a localized effect on visual attention.
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