Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026
05:58
Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking
Published on: August 29, 2018
Attentional capture by change in direct gaze
Takemasa Yokoyama1, Kazuya Ishibashi, Yuki Hongoh
1Department of Psychology, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan. yokoyama@lit.kobe-u.ac.jp
Perception
|December 2, 2011
Summary
Direct gaze changes capture attention better than non-direct ones. Specifically, a
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Gaze direction is a crucial social cue.
- Understanding how gaze cues influence attention is vital for social interaction research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if changes in direct gaze are more effective than non-direct gaze changes in capturing visuospatial attention.
- To investigate whether 'look toward' or 'look away' gaze changes are more potent attention capturers.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments utilized a change-detection task.
- Detection accuracy was compared across 'look away', 'look toward', and non-direct gaze-change conditions.
- Control experiments excluded motion detection and geometrical factors, confirming the effect's reliance on face and gaze processing.
Main Results:
- A significant detection advantage was observed for changes in direct gaze compared to non-direct gaze.
- The 'look toward' condition showed a greater attention-capturing effect than the 'look away' condition.
- This effect persisted regardless of head orientation, suggesting gaze directionality is key.
Conclusions:
- Individuals are more sensitive to changes in direct gaze than non-direct gaze.
- 'Look toward' gaze changes are more effective at capturing visuospatial attention than 'look away' changes.
- Gaze directionality, particularly toward the observer, plays a critical role in attentional capture.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Actor-Observer Effect
The actor-observer effect, a cognitive bias closely linked to the fundamental attribution error, refers to the tendency for individuals to attribute their behavior to external, situational factors while explaining others’ behavior in terms of internal, dispositional traits. This asymmetry in attribution significantly influences social perception and judgment.Cognitive Mechanisms Behind the EffectTwo primary psychological mechanisms contribute to the actor-observer effect: differences in visual...
01:15Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
01:16Focusing of Light in the Eye
Light rays enter the eye through the cornea, a transparent dome-shaped tissue that is the eye's outermost layer. The cornea bends or refracts, light rays traveling to the pupil. The shape of the cornea determines how much of the light is bent and whether the image will be focused correctly on the retina at the back of the eye. Once the light has passed through both refraction layers, it converges into a single focal point onto a small area. This is where photoreceptors start transforming...