attention is spontaneously biased toward regularities

20140415認知神經科學與認知模擬 (I)

Ting-Yun Chang

Attention is spontaneously biased toward regularities

Zhao, J., Al-Aidroos, N., & Turk-Browne, N. B. (2013). Psychological Science. Advance online publication.

doi: 10.1177/0956797612460407.

Take-Home Message

Regularities or statistical learning, even task-irrelevant, influence the allocation of spatial and feature attention.

Attention to Regularities

• The mind extracts regularities in the environment to interact with the environment more efficiently via statistical learning

• Conjectures:– Structured sources of information receive attentional priority in the

context of other, noisier sources of information

– Attention is biased by regularities even when they do not provide information that is helpful for performance

EXPERIMENT 1

Whether visual search is facilitated at a spatial location containing temporal regularities

Method

• 25 participants• Visual search task• Structured/Random shape stream in

different locations• Each shape repeated 50 times

(1 for left; 0 for right)

• Test for sensitivity to regularities– 2AFC test– Triplet versus Foil

– 3 triplets x 3 foils x 2 repetitions

• Debriefing– Had you noticed any regularities? Which location?– Did you use a strategy of attending to a specific location? Which

location?

Method (cont’)

(1000 ms pause)

Results

• Statistical learning occurred– Triplets were chosen over foils on 54%

• Target-discrimination RTs:– Target in structured < Target in random

• Debriefing:– 7 participants reported noticing regularities– Only 1 of them correctly identified which

location contained regularities

Attention is biased toward locations of regularities

EXPERIMENT 2

Whether temporal regularities among shapes in a color enhance attentional capture by that color

Method

• 20 new participants• Visual search task• Structured/Random shape stream in

different colors• Each shape repeated 40 times• 2AFC test• Debriefing

(1 for left; 0 for right)

Results

• Statistical learning occurred– Triplets were chosen over foils on 61.1%

• Target-discrimination RTs:– Target in structured < Target in random

• Main effect in singleton type• Significant interaction

– Greater capture for the structured color• Debriefing:

– 6 participants reported noticing regularities

– Only 2 of them correctly identified which location contained regularities

Attention is biased toward colors of regularities, even though shape streams were task irrelevant

2 (singleton type: target/distractor) X 2 (singleton color: structured/random) ANOVA

EXPERIMENT 3

Whether temporal regularities in a feature dimension enhance capture by singleton in that feature dimension

Method

• 30 new participants• Structured/Random line stream in different dimensions• Each line repeated 60 times• 2AFC test and Debriefing

(Between group)

Results

• Statistical learning occurred– Triplets were chosen over foils on

66.3% (color) and 72.6% (orientation)• Debriefing: (for both group)

– 6 participants reported noticing regularities

– Only 2 of them correctly identified which location contained regularities

Attention is biased toward feature dimension that contains regularities

2 (group: color/orientation) X 2 (singleton type: target/distractor) X 2 (singleton dimension: color/orientation) ANOVA

Greater attentional capture for singleton in the structured dimension

General Discussion

• Across three experiments, locations and features embedded in temporal regularities received attentional priority in visual search

• Interpretation: Implicit attentional bias for regularities during statistical learning

General Discussion

1. Explainations– Randomness When attempts to learn in random

streams failed, attention may have redirected to other streams, eventually settling on the structured stream

– Structure Regularities matched priority

experience attracted attention

2. Attention and learning interact in a closed-loop manner

3. Is prioritization of regularities stimulus-driven/goal-directed?

Thank You.

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Greater attentional capture for singleton in the structured dimension

Main effect in singleton dimensionColor group > Orientation group

Main effect in singleton type