Global Facilitation of Attended Features Is Obligatory and Restricts Divided Attention

‪Søren K. Andersen; Hillyard, Steven A.; Müller, Matthias M. · 2013 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1913-13.2013

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This study investigates the spatial constraints of feature-based visual attention, specifically addressing whether the global facilitation of attended features is an obligatory mechanism that restricts the ability to divide attention across different locations. While spatial attention can be effectively divided between separate locations, previous research suggested that attending to a specific feature (e.g., color) enhances processing of that feature across the entire visual field. The authors sought to determine if this global effect is uniform and mandatory, even when it conflicts with task demands requiring selective attention to different features at different locations. To test this, the researchers conducted two experiments using steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) and behavioral measures. In Experiment 1, participants attended to overlapping fields of red and blue dots in both left and right visual fields. They compared conditions where the same color was attended on both sides ("attend-same") against conditions where opposite colors were attended (e.g., red on the left, blue on the right; "attend-opposite"). In Experiment 2, participants attended to four distinct colors (orange, violet, cyan, magenta) to ensure that any observed effects were not due to an inability to attend to two different colors simultaneously. SSVEPs were used to measure cortical processing of attended versus unattended stimuli, while behavioral performance was assessed via target detection accuracy and reaction times. The results demonstrated that global feature facilitation is indeed obligatory and uniform. In Experiment 1, SSVEP amplitudes showed clear enhancement for attended colors in the "attend-same" condition. However, in the "attend-opposite" condition, attentional modulation of cortical potentials was abolished; the attended color on one side was processed with the same intensity as the unattended color on the opposite side because they shared the same feature. Behavioral data supported this, showing lower sensitivity and slower reaction times in the "attend-opposite" condition. Experiment 2 confirmed that participants could attend to two different colors simultaneously, as SSVEP enhancement was present when non-overlapping colors were attended. The loss of selectivity in Experiment 1 was thus attributed to the obligatory global enhancement of the attended feature, which inadvertently boosted processing of the unattended, feature-matching items on the opposite side. These findings conclude that feature-based attention operates through a spatially global mechanism that cannot be locally restricted. This obligatory global facilitation creates a fundamental constraint on divided attention, preventing independent processing of different features at different locations when those features overlap. The study implies that spatial and feature-based attention mechanisms can act in direct opposition, limiting the flexibility of visual attention in complex environments where distinct features must be monitored at separate locations.

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed.

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-25; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• attention selective divided
• attention
• inattentional change blindness
• attention allocation
• useful field of view
• multisensory crossmodal