Attentional guidance by irrelevant features depends on their successful encoding into working memory.

Abstract

Attentional selection is guided by templates of the target in working memory. It has been proposed that attentional templates integrate target features (e.g., purple chair) to guide attention in an object-based fashion. Alternatively, it may be that attentional templates are established for each target feature individually (e.g., purple and chair). To provide support for the latter account, we used a task where participants memorized a target shape while ignoring an irrelevant color. In the combined condition, the shape was shown in the irrelevant color. In the separate condition, the irrelevant color was spatially separate from the shape. After the initial presentation and a blank retention interval, participants were asked to make a saccade to the initially viewed shape, which was shown together with a distractor. Attentional guidance by the irrelevant color was strongly reduced with separate presentation, suggesting that guidance is object-based. However, it may be that irrelevant color was less reliably encoded with separate presentation. Therefore, we asked participants to store the irrelevant color for later recall. With the additional memory task, guidance by irrelevant color occurred regardless of whether it was presented as part of an object or separately. Thus, effects of irrelevant features are easier to observe with combined presentation because all features of an object are automatically encoded into working memory, where they form integrated feature templates. Nonetheless, guidance by separate features is possible, but the poor encoding of irrelevant features with separate presentation makes it more difficult to observe. Public Significance StatementThis study shows that any irrelevant feature stored in visual working memory can interfere with attentional selection of the target object. Interference is not limited to situations where the irrelevant feature is part of the target object.

Saliency affects attentional capture and suppression of abrupt‐onset and color singleton distractors: Evidence from event‐related potential studies

“…Presumably, the amplitude of Ppc may reflects not only the saliency of target stimuli in the visual field but also the relative saliency between the distractor and the target. Nevertheless, recently work by Kerzel & Cong (2021) have found that with closer spatial proximity of distractors to the target location, comes smaller Ppc amplitude to the lateral singleton distractor, suggesting that it does reflect attentional processing to some degree. On the other hand, the Ppc was equally present for their singleton target and singleton distractor, suggesting that the Ppc reflects some task independent processes, as in the present study.…”

“…On the other hand, the Ppc was equally present for their singleton target and singleton distractor, suggesting that the Ppc reflects some task independent processes, as in the present study. Conclusions from Kerzel & Huynh Cong (2021) suggest that Ppc is simultaneously affected by task demands and saliency, and it is difficult to decide “ whether the Ppc reflects bottom–up or top– down effects .” Future work may be needed to elucidate the nature of Ppc component, and to investigate this interesting analogy between abrupt onsets and color singletons.…”