Abstract
Contingent attentional capture occurs when a stimulus property captures an observer’s attention, usually related to the observer’s top-down attentional set for target-defining properties. In this study, we examined whether contingent attentional capture occurs for a distractor that does not share the target-defining property at a physical level, but does share that property at an abstract level of representation. In a rapid serial visual presentation stream, we defined the target by color (e.g., a green-colored Japanese kanji character). Before the target onset, we presented a distractor that referred to the target-defining color (e.g., a white-colored character meaning “green”). We observed contingent attentional capture by the distractor, which was reflected by a deficit in identifying the subsequent target. This result suggests that because of the attentional set, stimuli were scanned on the basis of the target-defining property at an abstract semantic level of representation.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amano, N., & Kondo, K. (1999). Nihongo-no goitokusei [Lexical properties of Japanese] (1st ed.). Tokyo: Sanseido.
Bacon, W. F., & Egeth, H. E. (1994). Overriding stimulus-driven attentional capture. Perception & Psychophysics, 55, 485–496.
Barnard, P. J., Scott, S., Taylor, J., May, J., & Knightley, W. (2004). Paying attention to meaning. Psychological Science, 15, 179–186.
Chun, M. M. (1997). Temporal binding errors are redistributed by the attentional blink. Perception & Psychophysics, 59, 1191–1199.
Chun, M. M., & Potter, M. C. (1995). A two-stage model for multiple target detection in rapid serial visual presentation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 21, 109–127.
Di Lollo, V., Kawahara, J.-I., Ghorashi, S. M. S., & Enns, J. T. (2005). The attentional blink: Resource depletion or temporary loss of control? Psychological Research, 69, 191–200.
Folk, C. L., Leber, A. B., & Egeth, H. E. (2002). Made you blink! Contingent attentional capture produces a spatial blink. Perception & Psychophysics, 64, 741–753.
Folk, C. L., Leber, A. B., & Egeth, H. E. (in press). Top-down control settings and the attentional blink: Evidence for nonspatial contingent capture. Visual Cognition.
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.
Ghorashi, S. M. S., Zuvic, S. M., Visser, T. A. W., & Di Lollo, V. (2003). Focal distraction: Spatial shifts of attentional focus are not required for contingent capture. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 29, 78–91.
Goryo, K. (1987). Yomuto iu koto [Psychology of reading]. Tokyo: Tokyo University Press.
Kikuchi, T. (1996). Detection of kanji words in a rapid serial visual presentation task. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 22, 332–341.
Luck, S. J., Vogel, E. K., & Shapiro, K. L. (1996). Word meanings can be accessed but not reported during the attentional blink. Nature, 383, 616–618.
MacLeod, C. M. (1991). Half a century of research on the Stroop effect: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 109, 163–203.
Maki, W. S., Frigen, K., & Paulson, K. (1997). Associative priming by targets and distractors during rapid serial visual presentation: Does word meaning survive the attentional blink? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 23, 1014–1034.
Maki, W. S., & Mebane, M. W. (2006). Attentional capture triggers an attentional blink. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 13, 125–131.
Raymond, J. E., Shapiro, K. L., & Arnell, K. M. (1992). Temporary suppression of visual processing in an RSVP task: An attentional blink? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 18, 849–860.
Seiffert, A. E., & Di Lollo, V. (1997). Low-level masking in the attentional blink. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 23, 1061–1073.
Shapiro, K. L., Arnell, K. M., & Raymond, J. E. (1997). The attentional blink. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 1, 291–296.
Spalek, T. M., Falcon, L. J., & Di Lollo, V. (2006). Attentional blink and attentional capture: Endogenous versus exogenous control over paying attention to two important events in close succession. Perception & Psychophysics, 68, 674–684.
Stroop, J. R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18, 643–662.
Theeuwes, J. (1992). Perceptual selectivity for color and form. Perception & Psychophysics, 51, 599–606.
Theeuwes, J. (1995). Abrupt luminance change pops out; abrupt color change does not. Perception & Psychophysics, 57, 637–644.
Theeuwes, J. (2004). Top-down search strategies cannot override attentional capture. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 11, 65–70.
Virzi, R. A., & Egeth, H. E. (1984). Is meaning implicated in illusory conjunctions? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 10, 573–580.
Visser, T. A. W., Bischof, W. F., & Di Lollo, V. (1999). Attentional switching in spatial and nonspatial domains: Evidence from the attentional blink. Psychological Bulletin, 125, 458–469.
Visser, T. A. W., Bischof, W. F., & Di Lollo, V. (2004). Rapid serial visual distraction: Task-irrelevant items can produce an attentional blink. Perception & Psychophysics, 66, 1418–1432.
Yantis, S. (1993). Stimulus-driven attentional capture and attentional control settings. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 19, 676–681.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This research was supported by grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science to A.A. and K.Y.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ariga, A., Yokosawa, K. Contingent attentional capture occurs by activated target congruence. Perception & Psychophysics 70, 680–687 (2008). https://doi.org/10.3758/PP.70.4.680
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/PP.70.4.680