Temporal and spatial Characteristics of preattentive and attentive processing
- 1 June 1995
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Visual Cognition
- Vol. 2 (2) , 221-233
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13506289508401732
Abstract
In the present experiment, subjects searched multielement displays for a colour singleton. With a variable display-to-onset SOA, on some trials an abrupt onset was presented at three possible distances from the target location. The interference effect caused by the abrupt onset as a function of SOA and its relative position revealed the distinctive characteristics of preattentive and attentive processing. During preattentive parallel processing (processing occurring within the first 100 msec), any abrupt onset that occurred within the visual field captured attention. During attentive processing (processing occurring after 100 msec), however, focused attention prevented the abrupt onset from capturing attention. The finding that abrupt onsets interfere with selective search for a colour singleton provides additional evidence for the theory of inadequate top-down control at the level of preattentive processing.Keywords
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