In 5 experiments, 432 college students viewed lists of words containing 2 targets (Target 1 [T1] and Target 2 [T2]) presented by rapid serial visual presentation at 10 words per second. Identification of T1 caused a 500-ms impairment in the identification of T2 (the attentional blink [AB]). Improved recall of T2 was observed throughout the time course of the AB when T2 was a strong associate of either T1 or a priming distractor (PD). When participants ignored T1, the AB was eliminated, but the amount of priming was not affected. Priming of T2 by PD was temporary (100-200 ms after the onset of PD). Although target priming and distractor priming both survived the AB, the 2 forms of priming appeared to have different bases. In contrast to priming by PD, priming by T1 was larger, modulated by backward associative strength, and longer lasting. Priming and the AB are hypothesized to result from on-line attentional processes, but recall from RSVP lists is also influenced by off-line memory processes.

Observers watched for 1 or 2 colored words as targets presented in lists of distractor strings (10 items/s). Identification of 1 target (T1) temporarily reduced the accuracy of reporting a 2nd target (T2). This attentional blink (AB) effect was most pronounced when T1 and T2 occurred close together in time. Use of recognition tests (instead of recall) improved performance but did not eliminate the AB effect. The AB effect was found with both word and nonword distractors, a smaller AB effect was found with consonant string distractors, and the AB effect was substantially attenuated with strings of unfamiliar characters (a false font). Analyses of errors indicated that the 2nd target is frequently replaced or corrupted by the following distractor during the blink. The AB effect appears to result from both attentional and mnemonic processes.

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