Attentional capture by globally defined objects

Rauschenberger, Robert; Yantis, Steven · 2001 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.3758/bf03194538

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This study investigates whether the abrupt appearance of a globally defined perceptual object captures visual attention, even when an observer’s task is focused on local features. While previous research established that new objects typically capture attention unless attention is pre-focused elsewhere, this paper examines hierarchical scenes where local elements form a global shape. The authors hypothesized that global onsets capture attention because they convey ecologically significant information (e.g., a camouflaged predator) that is not available at the local level, overriding local attentional strategies. The researchers conducted four experiments using visual search tasks. In Experiment 1, participants searched for a local semi-disk target among segmented disks ("pacmen"). On critical trials, a subset of pacmen induced a subjective square (a global object). Results showed that participants were significantly slower to respond when the subjective square appeared centrally, despite identical local features across conditions. Experiment 2 controlled for this by using outline pacmen that did not induce subjective figures; no slowing occurred, confirming that the effect in Experiment 1 was due to the global object, not the arrangement of local items. Experiment 3 distinguished between "new" and "old" global objects. A perceptually new subjective square slowed responses, whereas a perceptually old square (presented 1,000 ms earlier) actually facilitated performance, indicating that the capture effect relies on the abrupt onset of the global object. Experiment 4 tested the asymmetry of attentional capture by defining the task at the global level (identifying the direction of an illusory triangle). In this condition, the abrupt appearance of a new local element failed to capture attention. A control experiment confirmed that local elements could capture attention when the task was defined locally. These findings demonstrate an asymmetry: global objects capture attention even when attention is engaged locally, but local objects do not capture attention when attention is engaged globally. The authors conclude that the visual system prioritizes global objects because they provide critical environmental information that local features alone cannot convey. This suggests that attentional capture is not merely a reflexive response to any new stimulus but is modulated by the hierarchical level of the object and its potential behavioral relevance. The results refine the understanding of the tradeoff between top-down attentional control and bottom-up stimulus-driven capture, highlighting that global onsets possess high priority for visually guided behavior.

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Topics

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• inattentional change blindness
• attention selective divided
• visual search