Abstract
Contextual information provides an important source for behavioral orienting. For instance, in the contextualcuing paradigm, repetitions of the spatial layout of elements in a search display can guide attention to the target location. The present study explored how this contextual-cuing effect is influenced by the grouping of search elements. In Experiment 1, four nontarget items could be arranged collinearly to form an imaginary square. The presence of such a square eliminated the contextual-cuing effect, despite the fact that the square’s location still had a predictive value for the target location. Three follow-up experiments demonstrated that other types of grouping abolished contextual cuing in a similar way and that the mere presence of a task-irrelevant singleton had only a diminishing effect (by half ) on contextual cuing. These findings suggest that a segmented, salient region can interfere with contextual cuing, reducing its predictive impact on search.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Baker, C. I., Olson, C. R., & Behrmann, M. (2004). Role of attention and perceptual grouping in visual statistical learning. Psychological Science, 15, 460–466.
Brady, T. F., & Chun, M. M. (2007). Spatial constraints on learning in visual search: Modeling contextual cuing. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 33, 798–815.
Brainard, D. H. (1997). The Psychophysics Toolbox. Spatial Vision, 10, 433–436.
Chun, M. M. (2000). Contextual cueing of visual attention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4, 170–178.
Chun, M. M., & Jiang, Y. (1998). Contextual cueing: Implicit learning and memory of visual context guides spatial attention. Cognitive Psychology, 36, 28–71.
Chun, M. M., & Nakayama, K. (2000). On the functional role of implicit visual memory for the adaptive deployment of attention across scenes. Visual Cognition, 7, 65–81.
Conci, M., Müller, H. J., & Elliott, M. A. (2007a). Closure of salient regions determines search for a collinear target configuration. Perception & Psychophysics, 69, 32–47.
Conci, M., Müller, H. J., & Elliott, M. A. (2007b). The contrasting impact of global and local object attributes on Kanizsa figure detection. Perception & Psychophysics, 69, 1278–1294.
Donnelly, N., Humphreys, G. W., & Riddoch, M. J. (1991). Parallel computation of primitive shape descriptions. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 17, 561–570.
Duncan, J. (1984). Selective attention and the organization of visual information. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 113, 501–517.
Duncan, J., & Humphreys, G. W. (1989). Visual search and stimulus similarity. Psychological Review, 96, 433–458.
Found, A., & Müller, H. J. (1997). Local and global orientation in visual search. Perception & Psychophysics, 59, 941–963.
Friedman-Hill, S., & Wolfe, J. M. (1995). Second-order parallel processing: Visual search for the odd item in a subset. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 21, 531–551.
Han, S., Humphreys, G. W., & Chen, L. (1999). Parallel and competitive processes in hierarchical analysis: Perceptual grouping and encoding of closure. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 25, 1411–1432.
Jiang, Y., & Chun, M. M. (2001). Selective attention modulates implicit learning. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 54A, 1105–1124.
Jiang, Y., & Leung, A. W. (2005). Implicit memory of ignored visual context. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 12, 100–106.
Jiang, Y., & Wagner, L. C. (2004). What is learned in spatial contextual cueing—Configuration or individual locations? Perception & Psychophysics, 66, 454–463.
Kawahara, J. (2003). Contextual cueing in 3D layouts defined by binocular disparity. Visual Cognition, 10, 837–852.
Koffka, K. (1935). Principles of Gestalt psychology. New York: Harcourt.
Kunar, M. A., Flusberg, S. J., & Wolfe, J. M. (2006). Contextual cuing by global features. Perception & Psychophysics, 68, 1204–1216.
Lleras, A., & von Mühlenen, A. (2004). Spatial context and top-down strategies in visual search. Spatial Vision, 17, 465–482.
Moore, C. M., & Egeth, H. (1997). Perception without attention: Evidence for grouping under conditions of inattention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 23, 339–352.
Nelson, R. A., & Palmer, S. E. (2007). Familiar shapes attract attention in figure-ground displays. Perception & Psychophysics, 69, 382–392.
Olson, I. R., & Chun, M. M. (2002). Perceptual constraints on implicit learning of spatial context. Visual Cognition, 9, 273–302.
Pelli, D. G. (1997). The VideoToolbox software for visual psychophysics: Transforming numbers into movies. Spatial Vision, 10, 437–442.
Pomerantz, J. R., Sager, L. C., & Stoever, R. J. (1977). Perception of wholes and of their component parts: Some configural superiority effects. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 3, 422–435.
Rausei, V., Makovski, T., & Jiang, Y. V. (2007). Attention dependency in implicit learning of repeated search context. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 60, 1321–1328.
Rensink, R. A., & Enns, J. T. (1995). Preemption effects in visual search: Evidence for low-level grouping. Psychological Review, 102, 101–130.
Roelfsema, P. R. (2006). Cortical algorithms for perceptual grouping. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 29, 203–227.
Smyth, A. C., & Shanks, D. R. (2008). Awareness in contextual cuing with extended and concurrent explicit tests. Memory & Cognition, 36, 403–415.
Song, J.-H., & Jiang, Y. (2005). Connecting the past with the present: How do humans match an incoming visual display with visual memory? Journal of Vision, 5, 322–330.
Theeuwes, J. (1992). Perceptual selectivity for color and form. Perception & Psychophysics, 51, 599–606.
Vecera, S. P., & Farah, M. J. (1997). Is visual image segmentation a bottom-up or an interactive process? Perception & Psychophysics, 59, 1280–1296.
Wang, D. L., Kristjánsson, A., & Nakayama, K. (2005). Efficient visual search without top-down or bottom-up guidance. Perception & Psychophysics, 67, 239–253.
Yeshurun, Y., Kimchi, R., Sha’shoua, G., & Carmel, T. (2009). Perceptual objects capture attention. Vision Research, 49, 1329–1335.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This work was supported by a German Research Foundation (DFG) Project Grant (FOR 481).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Conci, M., von Mühlenen, A. Region segmentation and contextual cuing. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics 71, 1514–1524 (2009). https://doi.org/10.3758/APP.71.7.1514
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/APP.71.7.1514