The Preparatory Activation of Guidance Templates for Visual Search and of Target Templates in Non-Search Tasks

Dodwell, Gordon; Nako, Rebecca; Eimer, Martin · 2024 · Crossref

DOI: 10.5334/joc.341

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Summary

This study investigates whether the preparatory activation of attentional templates—a mechanism previously established for guiding visual search—is also present in non-search tasks where attentional guidance is not required. While prior research demonstrated that guidance templates are activated proactively before the onset of search displays to bias attention toward targets amidst distractors, it remained unclear if target templates used solely for object recognition in the absence of competition exhibit similar proactive activation. The authors hypothesized that if preparatory activation is unique to guidance, it would be absent in tasks without distractors; conversely, if target templates also operate proactively, evidence of advance activation should appear in non-search contexts. To test this, the researchers employed an electroencephalography (EEG) study with 18 participants performing three distinct tasks: a Colour Search task requiring attentional guidance, a Go/NoGo task requiring colour-based recognition without distractors, and a Shape Discrimination task where colour was irrelevant. Using a rapid serial probe presentation (RSPP) paradigm, task-irrelevant colour singleton probes were flashed every 200 ms during the interval preceding the main task display. The N2pc component, an ERP marker of attentional allocation, was measured in response to these probes. The presence of an N2pc to a target-coloured probe indicated that a corresponding colour-selective template was active at that moment, allowing the researchers to track the temporal profile of template activation across different task demands. The results confirmed that in the Colour Search task, target-coloured probes elicited clear N2pc components, reflecting the expected proactive activation of guidance templates. Crucially, significant probe-induced N2pcs were also observed in the Go/NoGo task, demonstrating that colour-selective target templates are activated preparatorily even when no attentional guidance is needed. In the Shape Discrimination task, where colour was irrelevant, N2pcs were attenuated but still detectable. These findings indicate that the preparatory activation of feature-selective attentional settings is not exclusive to visual search guidance but is a general mechanism also engaged in non-search tasks for target recognition. The significance of these findings lies in challenging the distinction between guidance and target templates regarding their temporal activation profiles. The study provides direct electrophysiological evidence that attentional templates operate proactively in a broader range of visual selection tasks than previously assumed. This suggests that the brain prepares for target recognition by activating relevant feature templates in advance, regardless of whether competitive distractors are present. Consequently, the proactive activation of attentional templates appears to be a fundamental aspect of visual processing that supports both the guidance of attention and the subsequent recognition of objects.

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• visual search