Attentional resources and pop-out detection in search displays.
Detecting pop-out targets is often considered as a fast, spontaneous and preattentive process. In most experimental studies, however, the observer's attention is explicitly focused on the detection task. We investigated pop-out detection under varying attention conditions: when pop-out displays were (a) not attended and not relevant, (b) attended and relevant and (c) could be attended but were not relevant. Event-related potentials were recorded for color and orientation pop-out targets and target-absent trials. When stimuli were attended, the N2pc component for color pop-outs was more pronounced than N2pc for orientation pop-outs, indicating that saliency modulated the attracting of an observer's attention. Results, however, showed no evidence for preattentive processing of pop-outs when they were not attended and not task relevant.
Schubö
Anna
A
Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany. anna.schuboe@lmu.de
Schröger
Erich
E
Meinecke
Cristina
C
Müller
Hermann J
HJ
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003116:Color; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*