Uncertainty as a determinant of attentional control settings

Kim, Hanshin; Park, Bo Youn; Cho, Yang Seok

doi:10.3758/s13414-019-01681-z

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…We refer to differences between invalid and valid cue trials (invalid -valid) as cueing effects. The prototypical result of contingent capture is that cueing effects with cues matching the target are larger than cueing effects with cues that do not contain any target features (e.g., Becker et al, 2019;Burnham, 2019;Jung et al, 2021;Kim et al, 2019;Ruthruff et al, 2020;Schönhammer et al, 2020). Therefore, the difference between matching and nonmatching cues indicates that an attentional template for the target color was established.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Capacity limitations in template-guided multiple color search

Kerzel

Grubert

2021

Psychon Bull Rev

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Visual selection of target objects relies on representations of their known features in visual working memory. These representations are referred to as attentional templates. We asked how the capacity of visual working memory relates to the maximal number of attentional templates that can simultaneously guide visual selection. To measure the number of active attentional templates, we used the contingent capture paradigm where cues matching the attentional template have larger effects than cues in a non-matching color. We found larger cueing effects for matching than non-matching cues in one-, two-, and also three-color searches, suggesting that participants can establish up to three attentional templates. However, scrutiny of matching cue trials showed that with three attentional templates, larger cueing effects only occurred when the matching cue had the same color as the actual target. When the matching cue had a possible target color that was different from the actual target color, cueing effects were similar to non-matching cue colors. We assume that processing of a matching cue activates one of the three templates, which inhibits the remaining templates to the level of non-matching colors. With two colors, the inhibition from the activated template is less complete because the initial template activation is higher. Overall, only a maximum of two attentional templates can operate successfully in the contingent capture paradigm. The capacity of template-guided search is therefore far below the capacity of visual working memory.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Capacity limitations in template-guided multiple color search

Kerzel

Grubert

2021

Psychon Bull Rev

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“…The result was that spatial cues in the targetmatching color captured attention, whereas spatial cues in the nonmatching color did not. Thus, the difference between target-matching and nonmatching spatial cues shows that an attentional template was activated for the target color, but not for an unrelated color (e.g., Becker et al, 2019;Burnham, 2020;Jung et al, 2021;Kerzel, 2019;Kim et al, 2019;Ruthruff et al, 2020;Schönhammer et al, 2020). Attentional capture is measured as the difference in RTs between spatial cues appearing at the target location (valid cues) and spatial cues appearing at a nontarget location (invalid cues).…”

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confidence: 99%

Guidance of visual search by negative attentional templates depends on task demands.

Kerzel¹,

Cong²

2022

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Perfor

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Visual search for a target is faster when its features are known before the search display appears, but there is an ongoing discussion about whether knowledge of nontarget features has a similar effect. Stored target or nontarget features used to guide visual search are referred to as positive or negative attentional templates, respectively. We suggest that the inconsistent findings concerning negative attentional templates may arise from 2 methodological choices in past research. The activation of negative attentional templates was never directly assessed and the use of negative attentional templates by the participant was optional. We addressed these issues in the contingent capture paradigm, which provides a marker for the activation of attentional templates in conditions where attentional templates are optional or mandatory. If an attentional template for a color is activated, cuing effects are larger for spatial cues in a matching color than for spatial cues in a nonmatching color. The question is whether the activation of negative attentional templates results in a similar difference between matching and nonmatching colors. We found that negative attentional templates were not activated when the target could be located based on its saliency (singleton search) and the use of the negative attentional template was optional. In contrast, when the negative attentional template was necessary to locate the target (feature search), we found the expected difference between matching and nonmatching spatial cues. Thus, the activation of negative attentional templates depends on task demands. In contrast, positive attentional templates were activated irrespective of task demands.

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“…In dual target search, two features are relevant, whereas only a single feature was relevant in the present study. For instance, numerous studies have shown that participants can establish attentional templates for two colors (Ansorge et al, 2005; Beck et al, 2012; Berggren et al, 2020; Grubert & Eimer, 2015, 2016; Huynh Cong & Kerzel, 2020; Kerzel & Witzel, 2019; Kim et al, 2019; Moore & Weissman, 2010; Roper & Vecera, 2012). In these studies, the colors were presented on separate objects to establish two attentional templates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Kerzel¹,

Cong²

2021

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Perfor

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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.

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Uncertainty as a determinant of attentional control settings

Cited by 5 publications

References 35 publications

Capacity limitations in template-guided multiple color search

Capacity limitations in template-guided multiple color search

Guidance of visual search by negative attentional templates depends on task demands.

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

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