title: [Visual attention and its control mechanisms].
abstract: Given the vast amount of visual information in visual scenes, the capacity of our brain to processes such scenes is severely limited. The core mechanism of selection is referred to as visual attention, and it has been the topic of intense investigation for over 25 years in experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Visual attention is not a single, unitary mechanism, but consists of multiple subcomponents. Attention can be directed to various aspects of visual information, such as spatial location, features, or objects. Additionally, attention is guided by external factors such as the salience of stimuli, or whether we are able to move our attention volitionally. The purpose of this article is to review the status of these components of attentional guidance and how they interact with each other, with an emphasis on psychophysical studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Science, School of Humanities, Kwansei Gakuin University.
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D013028:Space Perception; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*