Peripheral visual changes and spatial attention.
Three experiments are reported investigating the attentional effects of peripheral visual changes. In agreement with previous work, experiment 1 demonstrated facilitatory and inhibitory effects of a peripheral visual change on the latency of peripheral target detection. However, after a few minutes practice the facilitatory effect disappeared entirely. The inhibitory effect, though slightly reduced in later blocks, remained significant. Hence, the two effects are dissociable and not inter-dependent as argued by Maylor (1985). In experiments 2 and 3 the perceptual salience of the peripheral cue was manipulated. With a low energy, barely noticeable cue there was no reduction in either facilitation or inhibition as a function of practice. In contrast, the attentional effects of cues higher in energy tended to diminish with practice. Theoretical implications of these data are discussed.
Lambert
A
A
University of Durham, UK.
Spencer
M
M
Hockey
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D014794:Visual Fields