Abstract
Previous research using a spatial cuing paradigm in which a distractor cue preceded the target has shown that new objects presented with abrupt onsets only capture attention when observers are set to look for them (e.g., Folk, Remington, & Johnston, 1992). In the present study, we used the same spatial cuing paradigm as Folk et al. (1992) to demonstrate that even when observers have an attentional set for a color singleton or a specific color feature, an irrelevant new object presented with an abrupt onset interfered with search. We also show that the identity of the abrupt-onset distractor affects responses to the target, indicating that at some point spatial attention was allocated to the abrupt onset. We conclude that abrupt onsets or new objects override a top-down set for color. Abrupt onsets or new objects appear to capture attention independently of top-down control settings.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bacon, W. F., & Egeth, H. E. (1994). Overriding stimulus-driven attentional capture. Perception & Psychophysics, 55, 485–496.
Belopolsky, A. V., Theeuwes, J., & Kramer, A. F. (2005). Prioritization by transients in visual search. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 12, 93–99.
Boot, W. R., Brockmole, J. R., & Simons, D. J. (2005). Attention capture is modulated in dual-task situations. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 12, 662–668.
Burnham, B. R. (2007). Displaywide visual features associated with a search display’s appearance can mediate attentional capture. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14, 392–422.
Christ, S. E., & Abrams, R. A. (2006). Abrupt onsets cannot be ignored. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 13, 875–880.
Davoli, C. C., Suszko, J. W., & Abrams, R. A. (2007). New objects can capture attention without a unique luminance transient. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14, 338–343.
Donk, M., & Theeuwes, J. (2001). Visual marking beside the mark: Prioritizing selection by abrupt onsets. Perception & Psychophysics, 63, 891–900.
Duncan, J. (1985). Visual search and visual attention. In M. I. Posner & O. S. M. Marin (Eds.), Attention and performance XI (pp. 85–106). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Enns, J. T., Austen, E. L., Di Lollo, V., Rauschenberger, R., & Yantis, S. (2001). New objects dominate luminance transients in setting attentional priority. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 27, 1287–1302.
Eriksen, C. W., & Hoffman, J. E. (1972). Temporal and spatial characteristics of selective encoding from visual displays. Perception & Psychophysics, 12, 201–204.
Folk, C. L., & Remington, R. [W.] (1998). Selectivity in distraction by irrelevant featural singletons: Evidence for two forms of attentional capture. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 24, 847–858.
Folk, C. L., & Remington, R. [W.] (1999). Can new objects override attentional control settings? Perception & Psychophysics, 61, 727–739.
Folk, C. L., Remington, R. W., & Johnston, J. C. (1992). Involuntary covert orienting is contingent on attentional control settings. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 18, 1030–1044.
Folk, C. L., Remington, R. W., & Wright, J. H. (1994). The structure of attentional control: Contingent attentional capture by apparent motion, abrupt onset, and color. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 20, 317–329.
Gellatly, A., Cole, G., & Blurton, A. (1999). Do equiluminant object onsets capture visual attention? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 25, 1609–1624.
Gibson, B. S., & Kelsey, E. M. (1998). Stimulus-driven attentional capture is contingent on attentional set for displaywide visual features. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 24, 699–706.
Hickey, C., McDonald, J. J., & Theeuwes, J. (2006). Electrophysiological evidence of the capture of visual attention. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 18, 604–613.
Jonides, J. (1981). Voluntary versus automatic control over the mind’s eye’s movement. In J. Long & A. Baddeley (Eds.), Attention and performance IX (pp. 187–203). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Jonides, J., & Yantis, S. (1988). Uniqueness of abrupt visual onset in capturing attention. Perception & Psychophysics, 43, 346–354.
Juola, J. F., Koshino, H., & Warner, C. B. (1995). Tradeoffs between attentional effects of spatial cues and abrupt onsets. Perception & Psychophysics, 57, 333–342.
Kahneman, D., Treisman, A., & Burkell, J. (1983). The cost of visual filtering. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 9, 510–522.
Kim, M.-S., & Cave, K. R. (1999). Top-down and bottom-up attentional control: On the nature of interference from a salient distractor. Perception & Psychophysics, 61, 1009–1023.
Kramer, A. F., & Jacobson, A. (1991). Perceptual organization and focused attention: The role of objects and proximity in visual processing. Perception & Psychophysics, 50, 267–284.
Lamy, D., & Egeth, H. E. (2003). Attentional capture in singleton-detection and feature-search modes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 29, 1003–1020.
Leber, A. B., & Egeth, H. E. (2006). It’s under control: Top-down search strategies can override attentional capture. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 13, 132–138.
Martin-Emerson, R., & Kramer, A. F. (1997). Offset transients modulate attentional capture by sudden onsets. Perception & Psychophysics, 59, 739–751.
Miller, J. (1989). The control of attention by abrupt visual onsets and offsets. Perception & Psychophysics, 45, 567–571.
Posner, M. I. (1980). Orienting of attention. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 32, 3–25.
Rauschenberger, R. (2003). Attentional capture by auto- and allocues. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 10, 814–842.
Remington, R. W., Johnston, J. C., & Yantis, S. (1992). Involuntary attentional capture by abrupt onsets. Perception & Psychophysics, 51, 279–290.
Ruz, M., & Lupiáñez, J. (2002). A review of attentional capture: On its automaticity and sensitivity to endogenous control. Psicológica, 23, 283–309.
Theeuwes, J. (1990). Perceptual selectivity is task dependent: Evidence from selective search. Acta Psychologica, 74, 81–99.
Theeuwes, J. (1991a). Cross-dimensional perceptual selectivity. Perception & Psychophysics, 50, 184–193.
Theeuwes, J. (1991b). Exogenous and endogenous control of attention: The effect of visual onsets and offsets. Perception & Psychophysics, 49, 83–90.
Theeuwes, J. (1992). Perceptual selectivity for color and form. Perception & Psychophysics, 51, 599–606.
Theeuwes, J. (1994). Stimulus-driven capture and attentional set: Selective search for color and visual abrupt onsets. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 20, 799–806.
Theeuwes, J. (1995). Abrupt luminance change pops out; abrupt color change does not. Perception & Psychophysics, 57, 637–644.
Theeuwes, J. (1996). Perceptual selectivity for color and form: On the nature of the interference effect. In A. F. Kramer, M. G. H. Coles, & G. D. Logan (Eds.), Converging operations in the study of visual selective attention (pp. 297–314). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Theeuwes, J. (2004). Top-down search strategies cannot override attentional capture. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 11, 65–70.
Theeuwes, J., Atchley, P., & Kramer, A. F. (2000). On the time course of top-down and bottom-up control of visual attention. In S. Monsell & J. Driver (Eds.), Control of cognitive processes: Attention and performance XVIII (pp. 105–124). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Theeuwes, J., & Burger, R. (1998). Attentional control during visual search: The effect of irrelevant singletons. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 24, 1342–1353.
Theeuwes, J., de Vries, G.-J., & Godijn, R. (2003). Attentional and oculomotor capture with static singletons. Perception & Psychophysics, 65, 735–746.
Theeuwes, J., & Godijn, R. (2001). Attentional and oculomotor capture. In C. L. Folk & B. S. Gibson (Eds.), Attraction, distraction and action: Multiple perspectives on attentional capture (pp. 121–149). New York: Elsevier.
Theeuwes, J., Kramer, A. F., Hahn, S., & Irwin, D. E. (1998). Our eyes do not always go where we want them to go: Capture of the eyes by new objects. Psychological Science, 9, 379–385.
Theeuwes, J., Kramer, A. F., Hahn, S., Irwin, D. E., & Zelinsky, G. J. (1999). Influence of attentional capture on oculomotor control. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 25, 1595–1608.
Theeuwes, J., & Van der Burg, E. (2007). The role of spatial and nonspatial information in visual selection. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 33, 1335–1351.
Theeuwes, J., & Van der Burg, E. (in press). The role of cueing in attentional capture. Visual Cognition.
Todd, J. T., & Van Gelder, P. (1979). Implications of a transient-sustained dichotomy for the measurement of human performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 5, 625–638.
von Mühlenen, A., Rempel, M. I., & Enns, J. T. (2005). Unique temporal change is the key to attentional capture. Psychological Science, 16, 979–986.
Yantis, S. (1993). Stimulus-driven attentional capture. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2, 156–161.
Yantis, S. (1996). Attentional capture in vision. In A. F. Kramer, M. G. H. Coles, & G. D. Logan (Eds.), Converging operations in the study of visual selective attention (pp. 45–76). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Yantis, S., & Egeth, H. E. (1999). On the distinction between visual salience and stimulus-driven attentional capture. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 25, 661–676.
Yantis, S., & Hillstrom, A. P. (1994). Stimulus-driven attentional capture: Evidence from equiluminant visual objects. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 20, 95–107.
Yantis, S., & Jonides, J. (1984). Abrupt visual onsets and selective attention: Evidence from visual search. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 10, 601–621.
Yantis, S., & Jonides, J. (1990). Abrupt visual onsets and selective attention: Voluntary versus automatic allocation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 16, 121–134.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This work was based on the master’s thesis of D.S.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schreij, D., Owens, C. & Theeuwes, J. Abrupt onsets capture attention independent of top-down control settings. Perception & Psychophysics 70, 208–218 (2008). https://doi.org/10.3758/PP.70.2.208
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/PP.70.2.208