Target activation and distractor inhibition on attentional bias in priming of popout search

Burnham, Bryan R. · 2026 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3758/s13414-025-03197-1

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Summary

This study investigates the mechanisms underlying selection history effects in visual search, specifically the priming of popout (PoP) phenomenon where search is faster when target features repeat across trials. While PoP is well-documented, its underlying causes—feature activation (increased salience), attentional decision bias, and post-selection retrieval facilitation—remain confounded in traditional paradigms. The research aims to isolate the contribution of attentional decision bias by distinguishing between target activation and distractor inhibition, processes typically conflated in standard repeat-versus-switch comparisons. To achieve this, the author employed a probe detection task embedded within a standard popout search paradigm. Participants performed a visual search task to identify a color singleton target among distractors, interspersed with trials where letters briefly appeared on the items. This probe task allowed for the measurement of attentional allocation via letter recall, independent of motor response biases or perceptual salience changes. Experiment 1 utilized a single baseline condition where neither target nor distractor colors carried over from the previous trial. Experiment 2 expanded this design to include multiple baseline conditions, allowing for the independent manipulation of target and distractor color repetition and switching. This design enabled the separation of costs and benefits associated with target activation and distractor suppression. The results demonstrated significant PoP effects in both response times and probe recall. In Experiment 1, response times were faster on repeat trials and slower on switch trials compared to baseline. Crucially, probe recall revealed that fewer letters were recalled from the target on switch trials relative to baseline, indicating reduced attentional allocation due to the inhibition of the previously attended distractor color. Conversely, more letters were recalled from non-target distractors on switch trials than baseline, reflecting a carryover attentional bias toward the previously selected target color, which now defined the distractors. Experiment 2 replicated these findings and further showed that target activation and distractor inhibition contributed additively to the PoP effect. Statistical analyses confirmed significant main effects for both target and distractor color transitions on response times and probe performance, with no significant interactions, supporting the independence of these mechanisms. The findings conclude that selection history effects arise from a combination of target activation and distractor inhibition that biases attentional decisions. The study provides evidence that PoP is not solely driven by increased perceptual salience but involves lingering cognitive biases from prior selection episodes. By isolating attentional decision bias from post-selection processes, the research clarifies the distinct roles of activation and suppression in visual search, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of how previous attentional history influences current perceptual decisions.

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• visual search