The size of an attentional window modulates attentional capture by color singletons

Artem V. Belopolsky, Laura Zwaan, Jan Theeuwes, Arthur F. Kramer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Researchers have proposed that during visual search, a color singleton cannot capture attention in a bottom-up fashion (Jonides & Yantis, 1988). In the present study, we manipulated the size of the attentional window by asking participants to detect either a global (diffuse attention) or a local (focused attention) shape before starting the search for a nonsingleton target. We demonstrate that increasing the size of attentional window causes the observers to frequently orient to an irrelevant color singleton. We conclude that although the size of attentional window might be under a top-down control, within the attentional window, an irrelevant salient singleton can capture attention in a bottom-up fashion.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)934-938
Number of pages5
JournalPsychonomic Bulletin and Review
Volume14
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2007

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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