The problem of latent attentional capture: Easy visual search conceals capture by task-irrelevant abrupt onsets.

ABSTRACT: Researchers are sharply divided regarding whether irrelevant abrupt onsets capture spatial attention. Numerous studies report that they do and a roughly equal number report that they do not. This puzzle has inspired numerous attempts at reconciliation, none gaining general acceptance. The authors propose that abrupt onsets routinely capture attention, but the size of observed capture effects depends critically on how long attention dwells on distractor items which, in turn, depends critically on search difficulty. In a series of spatial cuing experiments, the authors show that irrelevant abrupt onsets produce robust capture effects when visual search is difficult, but not when search is easy. Critically, this effect occurs even when search difficulty varies randomly across trials, preventi

SUBMITTER: Gaspelin N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4977216 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature