Movement Characteristics of Visual Selective Attention

This research compares two descriptions of visual selective attention. Spotlight descriptions claim that attention moves with a constant velocity (Tsal, 1983) and processes information in its path (Shulman, Remington, & McLean, 1979) while the zoom lens description (Eriksen & St. James, 1986) claims an inverse relation between the size of the attentional focus and processing efficiency. Two experiments utilizing target location precueing and a response competition paradigm varied the distance of attention movement, the presence of information in the path of the movement, and the distance of the information to the target. Results were consistent with the zoom lens description. Reaction time varied inversely with the distance of the information to the target and was unaffected by the distance of the attention movement and the path location of the information. Attention appears to move in a discrete manner and precueing effects reflect the time needed to locate the appropriate target.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Murphy, Timothy Daniel

• Psychology, Experimental

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8803144

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/69703