Scene priming provides clues about target appearance that improve attentional guidance during categorical search

During categorical search (e.g., "look for a dog"), observers have broad information about their intended target, but no specific details about the target's precise appearance. Research suggests that mental representations used to guide attention during categorical search (or search templates) comprise typical or category consistent features. Unlike laboratory settings, real world search is not conducted in isolation; yet to be understood is how context shapes categorical search templates. Here, participants searched for category items after viewing a contextual scene prime. Response times were consistently faster to context-congruent targets, even though searchers had no incentive to intentionally use the scene to shape their template. Eye movements revealed enhanced attentional guidance during congruent searches, suggesting that context allows searchers to develop more useful templates. Thus, contextual primes may trigger scene-specific schemas that activate object features in memory that can then be used to guide attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).