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Target absent trials in configural contextual cuing

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Kunar, Melina A. and Wolfe, Jeremy M.. (2011) Target absent trials in configural contextual cuing. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, Vol.73 (No.7). pp. 2077-2091. ISSN 1943-3921

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13414-011-0164-0

Abstract

In contextual cueing (CC), reaction times to find targets in repeated displays are faster than in displays that have never been seen before. This has been demonstrated using target-distractor configurations, global background colors, naturalistic scenes and the co-variation of target with distractors. The majority of CC studies have used displays where the target is always present. This paper investigates what happens when the target is sometimes absent. Experiment 1 shows that, although configural CC occurs in displays when the target is always present, there is no CC when the target is always absent. Experiment 2 shows that there is no CC when the same spatial layout can be both target present and target absent on different trials. The presence of distractors in locations that contain targets on other trials appears to interfere with CC and even disrupts the expression of previously learned contexts (Experiments 3-5). The results show that it is the target-distractor associations that are important in producing CC and, consistent with a response selection account, changing the response type from an orientation task to a detection task removes the CC effect.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Psychology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Searching behavior, Visual perception, Reaction time
Journal or Publication Title:	Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics
Publisher:	Springer
ISSN:	1943-3921
Date:	21 June 2011
Volume:	Vol.73
Number:	No.7
Page Range:	pp. 2077-2091
Identification Number:	10.3758/s13414-011-0164-0
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder:	National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH)
Grant number:	MH56020 (NIH)
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/39226