title: Varied-mapping conjunction search: evidence for rule-based learning.
abstract: Five experiments were carried out to examine whether top-down processes can aid search, even when targets and distractors are variably mapped. Experiments 1a and 1b determined that effortless VM search can be obtained in Contrast Polarity X Orientation and Color X Orientation conjunction search when one feature dimension remains consistently mapped across blocks. Experiment 2 showed that efficient VM search is possible when both dimensions are variably mapped. In Experiment 3, efficient VM search was found when target-distractor reversals occurred on a trial-wise basis. Experiments 4 and 5 found that VM search deteriorates when target identity is not known prior to display onset. These studies demonstrate the role of top-down mechanisms in the development of efficient VM search and present several challenges to strength-theoretic views on the mechanisms underlying automaticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary AB, T2N 1N4, Canada. scialfa@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: Charles T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Scialfa
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McPhee
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D003116:Color; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation; D011897:Random Allocation; D011930:Reaction Time; D014796:Visual Perception