Inhibitory template for visual marking with endogenous spatial cueing

Abstract

ABSTRACT Previewing distractors facilitates efficient detection of a target appearing subsequently with any remaining distractors. Visual marking, specifically, top-down inhibition of old items, is induced by the inhibitory template that forms while previewing old items, and continues to be maintained during the target search. Extant studies have examined inhibitory template characteristics using additional tasks or events. In the present study, an endogenous cueing paradigm was combined to examine the interaction between spatial facilitation of cueing and the ability to inhibit old items. An endogenous cue was presented during the preview period, resulting in competition between two top-down controls, endogenous orienting and the inhibitory template; endogenous spatial cueing and visual marking effects did not simply function concurrently. Rather, either of them could be effective alternately for one trial. These findings suggest that the inhibitory template cannot function concurrently with another top-down control for visual search, though it is not damaged.