The influence of display-to-display feature changes on net cueing effects: Evidence for a contribution of object-file updating

Abstract

In spatial cueing, presenting a peripheral cue at the same position as a to-be-searched-for target (valid condition) facilitates search relative to a cue presented away from the target (invalid condition). It is assumed that this cueing effect reflects spatial attentional capture to the cued position that facilitates search in valid relative to invalid conditions. However, the effect is typically stronger for top-down matching cues that resemble the targets than for non-matching cues that are different from targets. One factor which could contribute to this effect is that in valid non-matching conditions, a cue-to-target colour difference could prompt an object-updating cost of the target that counteracts facilitative influences of attention capture by the valid cues (this has been shown especially in known-singleton search). We tested this prediction by introducing colour changes at target locations in valid and invalid conditions in feature search. This should compensate for selective updating costs in valid conditions and unmask the true capture effect of non-matching cues. In addition, in top-down matching conditions, colour changes at target positions in invalid conditions should increase the cueing effect, now by selective updating costs in addition to capture away from the targets in invalid conditions. Both predictions were borne out by the results, supporting a contribution of object-file updating to net cueing effects. However, we found little evidence for attentional capture by non-matching cues in feature search even when the selective cost by object-file updating in only valid conditions was compensated for.