When memory meets distraction: The role of unexpected stimulus-driven attentional capture on contextual cueing

Abstract

ABSTRACT Visuospatial attention plays a critical role in prioritizing behaviourally-relevant information and can be guided by task goals, stimulus salience, and memory. Here, we examined the interaction between memory-guided attention (contextual cueing) and stimulus-driven attention (unexpected colour singletons). In two visual search experiments with different set sizes, colour singletons were introduced unexpectedly in some trials after repeated configurations were used to establish contextual cueing. Reaction times were rapidly impacted by both contextual cueing and colour singletons, without significant interaction. However, introducing color singletons also impeded reaction times for novel configurations without color singletons, while repeated configurations were not impacted. These results suggest that on a trial level, contextual cueing and colour singleton effects are largely two independent factors driving selective attention, but there is evidence for a more general disruption of introducing distraction in cases where memory cannot be relied upon, suggesting a more complex interaction between attentional influences.