Multidimensional selection by temporal attention and feature-based attention: Evidence from event-related potentials

Numerous studies have shown that temporal attention plays an important role in selective attention. The present study used the event-related potential (ERP) to investigate how temporal attention modulates effects of feature-based attention in visual selection when both dimensions are task-relevant. We combined a modified temporal cueing paradigm with a feature-based attention task. In each trial, either a valid or an invalid temporal cue announced a short or long foreperiod (FP). After each FP, a visual stimulus in one of two colors was presented. Participants were instructed to respond only if the stimulus had a specific color and followed the cued FP. We observed ERP amplitude modulations due to feature-based attention at different processing levels. Importantly, feature-based attention effects were modulated by temporal attention. These results suggest that temporal attention not only facilitates stimulus processing on its own but also serves as a selection mechanism that can modulate stimulus processing in other dimensions.