Abstract
In the present study, I examined how the temporal and spatial relationship between two visual targets (Tl and T2) affects the recall of both targets when they are embedded in rapidly displayed distractors. Presented on a trial were two synchronized streams of characters, one to the left and the other to the right of the fixation. Independent of their spatial relationship, a U-shaped curve described the recall of the second target (T2) as a function of stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between Tl and T2. It indicated the presence of the attentional blink with a T2 deficit sparing up to about 150- to 200-msec SOA. However, T2 deficit was greater at short SO As (up to about 250 msec) when Tl and T2 occurred at different locations than when they occurred at a common location. When SOA was short (100 msec or so), recall of Tl was impaired when Tl and T2 occurred at a common location, but not when they were at different locations. The present findings can be reconciled with existing models (e.g., the interference model and the two-stage model) by distinguishing automatic and controlled attention gating processes at the transfer of perceptual representations to a more durable storage (e.g., visual short-term memory).
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Shih, SI. Recall of two visual targets embedded in RSVP streams of distractors depends on their temporal and spatial relationship. Perception & Psychophysics 62, 1348–1355 (2000). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03212137
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03212137