title: Object-based attention is mediated by collinearity of targets.
abstract: Same-object bias occurs when tasks associated with processing a single object are faster than tasks associated with two objects. Over five experiments we assessed whether same-object bias is mediated by the collinearity of the targets. Participants decided whether two targets, presented either within a single object or across two objects, were the same or different. Results showed that same-object bias only occurred when targets appeared on the same straight line within the same object. When targets appeared in the same object but were separated by an angle or corner, within-object facilitation was eliminated or greatly reduced. In a final experiment, response times to two targets that were collinear but on separate objects were responded to faster than were noncollinear targets on the same object. This suggests that collinearity between targets mediates the effect found in this paradigm, at least to a greater extent than colour grouping.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. david.crundall@nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crundall
authors.forename: Geoff G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galpin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*