Attention: Some theoretical considerations.

Deutsch, J. A.; Deutsch, Diana

doi:10.1037/h0039515

Cited by 1,402 publications

(569 citation statements)

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“…As such, a prominent issue is the point at which stimuli are allotted or denied further processing-a point known as the locus of selection-and the early versus late selection debate (Broadbent, 1958;Deutsch & Deutsch, 1963) focused upon whether the locus of selection occurred early or late in visual processing. Perceptual load theory offered a resolution to the debate by suggesting that the locus of selection is not fixed, but rather shifted from early to late depending upon the perceptual load imposed on the observer by the display (Forster, 2013;Lavie, 1995Lavie, , 2005Lavie, , 2010Lavie, Hirst, de Fockert, & Viding, 2004; for a conceptually different interpretation of load theory as an early selection account only, see Benoni & Tsal, 2013).…”

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Finding a link between guided search and perceptual load theory

Biggs

Kreager

Davoli

2015

Journal of Cognitive Psychology

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Perceptual load theory claims that attentional processing of distractors in the visual environment is dependent upon the availability of perceptual resources, and recent research has attempted to link this selective attention theory to more classic ideas on visual search. In the present study, we investigated how perceptual load could be linked to a prominent visual search theory: guided search. Our findings suggest that any volitional attempt at attentional guidance only hindered attention under low perceptual load, whereas attentional guidance could be highly effective under high perceptual load. Importantly, guided search only proved effective when participants could utilise knowledge about the display consistently from trial-to-trial. This finding parallels previous evidence about visual search, extends it to perceptual load theory and further demonstrates the rich potential in uniting visual search and visual selection studies.

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confidence: 99%

Finding a link between guided search and perceptual load theory

Biggs

Kreager

Davoli

2015

Journal of Cognitive Psychology

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“…For instance, late-selection theories have suggested that initial perceptual processing is unrestricted and that targets are discerned from nontargets during later, postperceptual stages (Deutsch & Deutsch, 1963;Duncan, 1980;Schneider & Shiffrin, 1977). Thus, according to this view, information about distractors is continually accumulated for as long as the distractors are presented.…”

Section: Abstract Selective Attention Visual Attention Visual Permentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The late-selection approach (Deutsch & Deutsch, 1963;Duncan, 1980;Schneider & Shiffrin, 1977) has claimed that perceptual capacity is not critically limited, such that extensive information is indiscriminately extracted from all stimuli. The attentional mechanisms responsible for selecting the target operate only later, upon postperceptual representations of the already analyzed and identified stimuli.…”

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The mutations paradigm: Assessing the time course of distractor processing

Max

Tsal

2015

Atten Percept Psychophys

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The temporal loci of distractor processing were assessed in a flanker task with mutating distractors. We introduce the mutations paradigm, which allows for behavioral assessments of the critical time window during which distractors are processed. A central target was flanked by two identical distractors. While the target remained unchanged throughout the trial, the distractors' identities mutated once per trial, at a random time during the initial 200 ms following onset. There were three types of trials: incongruent (i.e., disruptive) distractors that mutated to neutral distractors, neutral distractors that mutated to incongruent ones, or neutral distractors that mutated to different neutral distractors (control). The results revealed that presentations of incongruent distractors for a mere 17 ms were sufficient to significantly delay responses. After 50 ms, perceptual information ceased to be accumulated from distractors locations but was still being collected from the target location. We suggest that (a) extensive information about the target and distractors was gathered as early as 17 ms after onset; (b) attentional modulations of processing consummated later, between 34 and 51 ms; and (c) once attentional mechanisms had stepped in (~50 ms), selection achieved full and sustained efficiency. These findings seem to challenge basic assumptions held by early-selection, late-selection, and load theories. Keywords Selective attention . Visual attention . Visual perceptionResearch on attention has mostly focused on the conditions under which the perceptual system fails to filter out irrelevant stimuli during the course of processing targeted stimuli (e.g., Stroop effects: MacLeod, 1991;Stroop, 1935; flanker effects: Eriksen, 1995;Eriksen & Eriksen, 1974;Miller, 1991; global precedence effects: Kimchi, 1992;Navon, 1977; or Simon effects: Simon, 1990). We suggest that in order to explain undesired processing of task-irrelevant distractors, theoretical models have relied on specific assumptions regarding the temporal window during which distractors are processed. Inescapably, the adoption of different assumptions about the time course of attentional modulations of processing has led to fundamentally disparate interpretations of how attention operates. The main focus of the present study was to provide behavioral assessments of the critical time window during which information about distractors is accumulated.Explicit and hidden assumptions about the temporal locus during which disruptive information about distractors infiltrates attentional selection have directly derived from theoretical propositions regarding the temporal locus of attentional operation. For instance, late-selection theories have suggested that initial perceptual processing is unrestricted and that targets are discerned from nontargets during later, postperceptual stages (Deutsch & Deutsch, 1963;Duncan, 1980;Schneider & Shiffrin, 1977). Thus, according to this view, information about distractors is continually accumulated for as long as th...

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“…Los trabajos experimentales sobre el déficit atencional antes mencionados toman como marcos teóricos de referencia los siguientes: (1) las teorías atencionales derivadas de los primeros modelos etápicos del procesamiento de información y se interesan por cuestiones tales como las limitaciones estructurales en el procesamiento y, por tanto, en el «locus» de la selección de información, sean en las primeras etapas de procesamiento -modelos de «selección temprana», de Broadbent (1958)-en las últimas -modelos de «selección tardía», de Welford (1952Welford ( , 1968, Deutsch y Deutsch (1963), Norman (1968Norman ( , 1976, Duncan (1980)-o bien en múltiples niveles -modelos de «selección múltiple», de Broadbent (1970), Johnston y Heinz (1978) y Treisman (1960, 1964, y (2) las teorías atencionales de origen psicofisiológico relacionadas con los aspectos de intensividad y activación, es decir, con la focalización prolongada o sostenida del sistema de procesamiento sobre determinados estímulos o tareas. La intensividad atencional ya ha sido relativamente bien documentada como componente del déficit atencional.…”

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