Attention Capture: Definition and Stimuli
Attention capture is often operationally defined as speeded search performance when an otherwise nonpredictive stimulus happens to be the target of a visual search. That is, if a stimulus captures attention, it should be searched with priority even when it is irrelevant to the task.
Given this definition, only the abrupt appearance of a new object (see, e.g., Jonides & Yantis, 1988) and one type of luminance contrast change (Enns, Austen, Di Lollo, Rauschenberger, & Yantis, 2001) have been shown to strongly capture attention.
However, research indicates that other types of stimuli can also capture attention. We show that translating and looming stimuli also capture attention. This phenomenon does not occur for all dynamic events: We also show that receding stimuli do not attract attention.
In summary, attention capture is a complex phenomenon influenced by various types of stimuli. Understanding what stimuli capture attention can help refine our understanding of visual attention and its role in guiding behavior.
Experimental Data on Attention Capture
The following tables and figures present data from experiments investigating attention capture in different scenarios.
Infographic of stimuli that capture attention
Tracking Performance
Table 1 shows the means of tracking performance in number of objects and in percent correctly identified in Experiment 1 (8 objects), Experiment 2 (10 objects), Experiment 3 (8 objects, low versus high frequency), and Experiment 4 (8 objects, high within trial frequency) for trials without an onset distractor, for trials with an onset distractor and for overall tracking performance (SE in parentheses).
| Experiment | Condition | Number of Objects | Percent Correctly Identified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (8 objects) | No Onset Distractor | [Data] | [Data] |
| 1 (8 objects) | Onset Distractor | [Data] | [Data] |
| 1 (8 objects) | Total | [Data] | [Data] |
| 2 (10 objects) | No Onset Distractor | [Data] | [Data] |
| 2 (10 objects) | Onset Distractor | [Data] | [Data] |
| 2 (10 objects) | Total | [Data] | [Data] |
| 3 (8 objects, low vs high frequency) | No Onset Distractor | [Data] | [Data] |
| 3 (8 objects, low vs high frequency) | Onset Distractor | [Data] | [Data] |
| 3 (8 objects, low vs high frequency) | Total | [Data] | [Data] |
| 4 (8 objects, high within trial frequency) | No Onset Distractor | [Data] | [Data] |
| 4 (8 objects, high within trial frequency) | Onset Distractor | [Data] | [Data] |
| 4 (8 objects, high within trial frequency) | Total | [Data] | [Data] |
No Onset Distractor = trials in which no onset distractor appeared; Onset Distractor = all trials with an onset distractor including trials with onset distractor that appeared 100 ms before presentation of a probe and trials with onset distractor that appeared between 1500 and 2500 ms before presentation of a probe; Total = Tracking Performance in all trials of an experiment (frq: frequency).
Probe Detection
Table 2 shows the means of probe detection in Experiment 1 (8 objects), Experiment 2 (10 objects), Experiment 3 (8 objects, lower frequency), and Experiment 4 in percent for trials with onset distractors and for trials without an onset distractor (SE in parentheses).
| Experiment | Condition | Probe Detection (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (8 objects) | Short SOA | [Data] |
| 1 (8 objects) | Long SOA | [Data] |
| 1 (8 objects) | Control | [Data] |
| 2 (10 objects) | Short SOA | [Data] |
| 2 (10 objects) | Long SOA | [Data] |
| 2 (10 objects) | Control | [Data] |
| 3 (8 objects, lower frequency) | Short SOA | [Data] |
| 3 (8 objects, lower frequency) | Long SOA | [Data] |
| 3 (8 objects, lower frequency) | Control | [Data] |
| 4 | Onset Distractor | [Data] |
| 4 | Control | [Data] |
Short SOA = trials with onset distractor that appeared 100 ms before presentation of a probe; Long SOA = trials with onset distractor that appeared between 1500 and 2500 ms before presentation of a probe; Control = trials in which no onset distractor appeared. The distinction short vs. long SOA does not apply to Experiment 4.
Figure 2. Effect of presentation of an onset distractor on means of probe detection as a function of task load (number of objects) for Experiment 1 (low load) and Experiment 2 (high load).
Figure 3. Effect of presentation of an onset distractor on means of probe detection as a function of frequency for Experiment 3.