Showing papers by "Jan W. de Fockert published in 2004"
TL;DR: In this article, a load theory of attention in which distractor rejection depends on the level and type of load involved in current processing was tested, and it was shown that whereas high perceptual load reduces distractor interference, working memory load or dual-task coordination load increases distractor interferences.
Abstract: A load theory of attention in which distractor rejection depends on the level and type of load involved in current processing was tested. A series of experiments demonstrates that whereas high perceptual load reduces distractor interference, working memory load or dual-task coordination load increases distractor interference. These findings suggest 2 selective attention mechanisms: a perceptual selection mechanism serving to reduce distractor perception in situations of high perceptual load that exhaust perceptual capacity in processing relevant stimuli and a cognitive control mechanism that reduces interference from perceived distractors as long as cognitive control functions are available to maintain current priorities (low cognitive load). This theory resolves the long-standing early versus late selection debate and clarifies the role of cognitive control in selective attention.
1,420 citations
TL;DR: This work examined the neural correlates of attentional capture using functional magnetic resonance imaging in human subjects during performance of a visual search task to provide direct evidence that the frontal cortex is involved in control of interference from irrelevant but attention-capturing distractors.
Abstract: Much behavioral research has shown that the presence of a unique singleton distractor during a task of visual search will typically capture attention and thus disrupt target search. Here we examined the neural correlates of such attentional capture using functional magnetic resonance imaging in human subjects during performance of a visual search task. The presence (vs. absence) of a salient yet irrelevant color singleton distractor was associated with activity in the superior parietal cortex and frontal cortex. These findings imply that the singleton distractor induced spatial shifts of attention despite its irrelevance, as predicted from an AC account. Moreover, behavioral interference by singleton distractors was strongly and negatively correlated with frontal activity. These findings provide direct evidence that the frontal cortex is involved in control of interference from irrelevant but attention-capturing distractors.
178 citations