IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0119414.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Effects of Attention Pre-Allocation and Target-Background Integration on Object-Based Attention

Author

Listed:
  • Fengpei Hu
  • Changyong Jiao
  • Songpo Zhao
  • Huahua Dong
  • Xiao Liu
  • Yuji Yi
  • Jun Wang

Abstract

Object-based attention has been documented as an important mechanism with which to control attention in several studies. To date, two main hypotheses have been proposed to interpret object-based attention: attention spreading and prioritization of search. There is evidence that supports these hypotheses in the literature. In the present study, we sought to compare these two hypotheses systematically by manipulating two factors: the integration of the target and background and the presence of attention pre-allocation. For this purpose, we used a flanker task in which the location of the task-relevant target was fixed, but the relationship between the target and the background varied. In addition, attention pre-allocation was presented in only half of the conditions. The results revealed that the attention spreading hypothesis was supported only when attention was not pre-allocated and target-background integration was high; however, the prioritization hypothesis was supported in all other conditions. Our findings provide insight into the comparisons of the attention spreading and prioritization hypotheses. Furthermore, our findings suggest that attention resources may be the underlying factor determining appropriate strategy in the control of attention.

Suggested Citation

  • Fengpei Hu & Changyong Jiao & Songpo Zhao & Huahua Dong & Xiao Liu & Yuji Yi & Jun Wang, 2015. "The Effects of Attention Pre-Allocation and Target-Background Integration on Object-Based Attention," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0119414
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119414
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0119414
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0119414&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0119414?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pieter R. Roelfsema & Victor A. F. Lamme & Henk Spekreijse, 1998. "Object-based attention in the primary visual cortex of the macaque monkey," Nature, Nature, vol. 395(6700), pages 376-381, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Thomas Miconi & Rufin VanRullen, 2016. "A Feedback Model of Attention Explains the Diverse Effects of Attention on Neural Firing Rates and Receptive Field Structure," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, February.
    2. Jacob A. Westerberg & Jeffrey D. Schall & Geoffrey F. Woodman & Alexander Maier, 2023. "Feedforward attentional selection in sensory cortex," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0119414. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.