Spatial attention in early vision

J. Theeuwes, A.F. Kramer, P. Atchley

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

The present study addressed whether the allocation of attention to a particular region in space can prevent processing of distractor information from non-attended regions. A cue indicated the area in visual space where the target singleton would be presented. Observers were required to detect this target singleton and ignore a distractor singleton presented within a non-attended region. The results indicate that the allocation of attention to a region in space cannot prevent the processing of unwanted information from elsewhere in the visual field. It is concluded that the function of the allocation of attention is not to enhance the processing capacity within the attended region but rather to attenuate interference from distractors in unattended regions. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-20
Number of pages20
JournalActa Psychologica
Volume108
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2001

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Spatial attention in early vision'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this