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The return of object-based attention: selection of multiple-region objects
Journal article   Open access

The return of object-based attention: selection of multiple-region objects

Michi Matsukura and Shaun P Vecera
Perception & psychophysics, Vol.68(7), pp.1163-1175
10/2006
DOI: 10.3758/BF03193718
PMID: 17355040
url
https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193718View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Objects can control the focus of attention, allowing features on the same object to be selected more easily than features on different objects. In the present experiments, we investigated the perceptual processes that contribute to such object-based attentional effects. Previous research has demonstrated that object-based effects occur for single-region objects but not for multiple-region objects under some conditions (Experiment 1, Watson & Kramer, 1999). Such results are surprising, because most objects in natural scenes are composed of multiple regions. Previous findings could therefore limit the usefulness of an object-based selection mechanism. We explored the generality of these single-region selection results by manipulating the extent to which different (i.e., multiple) regions of a single object perceptually grouped together. Object-based attentional effects were attenuated when multiple regions did not group into a single perceptual object (Experiment 1). However, when multiple regions grouped together based on (1) edge continuation (Experiments 2 and 3) or (2) part and occlusion cues (Experiment 4), we observed object-based effects. Our results suggest that object-based attention is a robust process that can select multiple-region objects, provided the regions of such objects cohere on the basis of perceptual grouping cues.
 Cues Perceptual Closure Humans Adolescent Attention Adult Female Male Reaction Time Pattern Recognition, Visual Orientation Discrimination Learning

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