CAN DEPLOYMENT OF ATTENTION BE STRATEGICALLY CONTROLLED?

Abstract

The main goal of the experiment was to test whether deployment ofattention could be strategically controlled. Subjects viewed five-letter arrays.Each array included a letter unique in shape (i.e. target). One of the letters ineach array (target or non-target) also differed from other letters in color orin position in relation to the array. That letter will be referred to as a featuresingleton. The probability ratio of the feature singleton being the target or anon-target letter was varied throughout three experiments. The ratios were (1)0.5 (target) : 0.5 (non-target); (2) 0.2 (target) : 0.8 (non-target); (3) 0.8 (target): 0.2 (non-target). Subjects in all three experimental conditions deployed serialprocesses, but failed to maintain complete intentional control during the courseof the search.

Keywords

• visual attention
• visual search
• exogenous
• endogenous