Focused visual attention
Theory / Author Explanation
Visual attention like headlights
- Visual attention more like zoom lens.
- Can flexibly enlarge or reduce area of focal attention
- Like zoom lens, attention can be adjusted to increase covered visual area
- Split attention approach -> distribution of attention across two (or more)
nonadjacent regions of visual space.
-> multiple spotlights
- presentation four squares in semicircle, directing attention to one, two, or all of them
- Brain activation in early visual regions most prevalent when region attended to was
large (e.g., attend to all squares); performance best for smallest region
- inclusion of all possible target locations and exclusion of distractors is optimal
-> Top-down inferences to true size of objects used.
-> Region in focus larger than would be optimal
- presentation of letters and numbers simultaneously at five locations (each quadrant
and at the center of visual perception).
- Attention to top left and bottom right, ignoring others -> peaks in brain activation for
the two attended regions, less brain activation for others
-> half of visual field of view, are processed crosswise in the brain
- Performance better when stimuli were presented in different halves
testing the zoom lens hypothesis.
- 5-letter word & recall stimulus in one position
- Narrow focus (letter task, middle letter) / Wide focus (word task, word).
-> Evidence for zoom lens hypothesis/theory
testing multiple spotlights (divided attention)
- presentation of stimuli mostly right or left, sometimes in between
-> lower accuracy for stimuli in between -> evidence for multiple headlights
Conclusion Visual attention can be used flexibly, like zoom lens & multiple spotlights.
What is selected?
- Although we typically target objects of potential relevance, we are also able to focus
spatial areas
- Object-based attention is more common than spatial-based attention in everyday
life
- Visual attention controlled by combination of spatial, object & feature-based factors
- Several other factors influence visual attention
- Strategic processes (conscious and not purely automatic)
- Recent experience - Interindividual differences
- Hypothesis: Inhibition of return
- Probability that visual attention is directed to a place/object that was recently
attended to
is reduced
- Findings rather inconsistent & effects small -> But in some studies effect for both
places and objects.
- Limitations:
1) mostly spatial cues used -> can distract visual attention.
Theory / Author Explanation
Visual attention like headlights
- Visual attention more like zoom lens.
- Can flexibly enlarge or reduce area of focal attention
- Like zoom lens, attention can be adjusted to increase covered visual area
- Split attention approach -> distribution of attention across two (or more)
nonadjacent regions of visual space.
-> multiple spotlights
- presentation four squares in semicircle, directing attention to one, two, or all of them
- Brain activation in early visual regions most prevalent when region attended to was
large (e.g., attend to all squares); performance best for smallest region
- inclusion of all possible target locations and exclusion of distractors is optimal
-> Top-down inferences to true size of objects used.
-> Region in focus larger than would be optimal
- presentation of letters and numbers simultaneously at five locations (each quadrant
and at the center of visual perception).
- Attention to top left and bottom right, ignoring others -> peaks in brain activation for
the two attended regions, less brain activation for others
-> half of visual field of view, are processed crosswise in the brain
- Performance better when stimuli were presented in different halves
testing the zoom lens hypothesis.
- 5-letter word & recall stimulus in one position
- Narrow focus (letter task, middle letter) / Wide focus (word task, word).
-> Evidence for zoom lens hypothesis/theory
testing multiple spotlights (divided attention)
- presentation of stimuli mostly right or left, sometimes in between
-> lower accuracy for stimuli in between -> evidence for multiple headlights
Conclusion Visual attention can be used flexibly, like zoom lens & multiple spotlights.
What is selected?
- Although we typically target objects of potential relevance, we are also able to focus
spatial areas
- Object-based attention is more common than spatial-based attention in everyday
life
- Visual attention controlled by combination of spatial, object & feature-based factors
- Several other factors influence visual attention
- Strategic processes (conscious and not purely automatic)
- Recent experience - Interindividual differences
- Hypothesis: Inhibition of return
- Probability that visual attention is directed to a place/object that was recently
attended to
is reduced
- Findings rather inconsistent & effects small -> But in some studies effect for both
places and objects.
- Limitations:
1) mostly spatial cues used -> can distract visual attention.
