Attention Operating Characteristics in a Location-Cuing Task

The authors studied the allocation of visual attention in the location-cuing paradigm in order to differentiate between 2 general classes of mechanisms: (a) switching attention across locations on different trials and (b) sharing attention across multiple locations within a trial. In Experiment 1, attention was directed by the use of central cues of 4 different cue validities: 100%, 80%, 50%, or 20% (in separate blocks). In Experiment 2, the percentage of correctly cued trials was fixed at 50%, but instructions and feedback were manipulated. The attention operating characteristic (AOC) curves provided evidence of sharing or hybrid (2-process) mechanisms. Thus, it appears that visual attention is characterized by a flexible allocation in response to task demands.