Testing the top‐down contingent capture of attention for abrupt‐onset cues: Evidence from cue‐elicited N2pc

Autor: Tobias Schoeberl, Ulrich Ansorge, Florian Goller
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Psychophysiology. 57
ISSN: 1469-8986
0048-5772
DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13655
Popis: Many studies using N2pc as a marker of attentional capture have demonstrated top-down contingent capture for salient color singletons: Among all salient cues that are not predictive of the target location, only cues similar to searched-for target features, and thus, matching to the top-down attentional control settings capture attention. This is reflected in matching cue's elicitation of an N2pc and a cueing effect in behavior, and the absence of the corresponding effects for non-matching cues (with features dissimilar to that of the searched-for targets). Yet, with abrupt-onset cues, corresponding evidence is missing, inviting speculations about the potential of abrupt-onset cues to capture attention followed by quick suppression within the target displays. Here, we used two types of abrupt-onset cues to test if capture by such cues also adheres to the contingent-capture principle: matching abrupt-onset cues with a color similar to the top-down control settings and non-matching abrupt-onset cues with a color different from all searched-for targets. With the help of these cues, top-down contingent capture was supported. Only matching abrupt-onset cues elicited an N2pc and a behavioral cueing effect. Depending on the exact side conditions, non-matching cues either elicited no N2pc or a PD (i.e., evidence of active suppression). Results are discussed against the background of competing theories on attention capture by abrupt-onset cues.
Databáze: OpenAIRE