Endogenous shifts of covert attention operate within multiple coordinate frames: evidence from a feature-priming task.

Full Abstract

The locations of visual objects and events in the world are represented in a number of different coordinate frameworks. For example, a visual transient is known to attract (exogenous) attention and facilitate performance within an egocentric framework. However, when attention is allocated voluntarily to a particular visual feature (ie endogenous attention), the location of that feature appears to be variously encoded either within an allocentric framework or in a spatially invariant manner. In three experiments we investigated the importance of location for the allocation of endogenous attention and whether egocentric and/or allocentric spatial frameworks are involved. Primes and targets were presented in four conditions designed to vary systematically their spatial relationships in egocentric and allocentric coordinates. A reliable effect of egocentric priming was found in all three experiments, which suggests that endogenous shifts of attention towards targets defined by a particular feature operate in an egocentric representation of visual space. In addition, allocentric priming was also found for targets primed by their colour or shape. This suggests that attending to targets primed by nonspatial attributes results in facilitation that is localised in more than one coordinate frame of spatial reference.

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Author information

Author/s: Barrett, Doug J K (DJ); Bradshaw, Mark F (MF); Rose, David (D);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK. d.barrett(-atsign-)soton.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Perception (Perception), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-; vol 32 (issue 1) : pp 41-52

Dates: Created 2003/03/04; Completed 2003/04/29; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 12613785, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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