Ignoring Salient Distractors Inside and Outside the Attentional Window

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• The automatic capture of attention by salient stimuli is debated.
• The attentional window account suggests capture depends on attentional focus breadth.
• This account has not been extensively tested.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the attentional window account's predictions.
• To investigate if salient distractors capture attention based on their location within or outside the attended window.
• To examine the role of spatial attention spread in attentional capture.

Main Methods:

• A shape discrimination task was employed.
• The spread of spatial attention was manipulated.
• Attentional capture was measured using the N2pc component and behavioral data.

Main Results:

• Contrary to the attentional window account, salient distractors did not capture attention differently based on their location.
• No evidence supported the idea that capture depends on whether a distractor is inside or outside the attended window.
• Findings suggest attentional capture is not solely determined by the breadth of spatial attention.

Conclusions:

• The attentional window account was not supported by the findings.
• Results indicate that feature-based control mechanisms can prevent capture by salient distractors.
• Attention models allowing feature-based control are better supported by this evidence.