TY - JOUR
T1 - Capture of the eyes by relevant and irrelevant onsets
AU - Mulckhuyse, Manon
AU - van Zoest, Wieske
AU - Theeuwes, Jan
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - During early visual processing the eyes can be captured by salient visual information in the environment. Whether a salient
stimulus captures the eyes in a purely automatic, bottom-up fashion or whether capture is contingent on task demands is still
under debate. In the first experiment, we manipulated the relevance of a salient onset distractor. The onset distractor could
either be similar or dissimilar to the target. Error saccade latency distributions showed that early in time, oculomotor capture
was driven purely bottom-up irrespective of distractor similarity. Later in time, top-down information became available resulting
in contingent capture. In the second experiment, we manipulated the saliency information at the target location. A salient
onset stimulus could be presented either at the target or at a non-target location. The latency distributions of error and
correct saccades had a similar time-course as those observed in the first experiment. Initially, the distributions overlapped
but later in time task-relevant information decelerated the oculomotor system. The present findings reveal the interaction
between bottom-up and top-down processes in oculomotor behavior. We conclude that the task relevance of a salient event is
not crucial for capture of the eyes to occur. Moreover, task-relevant information may integrate with saliency information
to initiate saccades, but only later in time.
AB - During early visual processing the eyes can be captured by salient visual information in the environment. Whether a salient
stimulus captures the eyes in a purely automatic, bottom-up fashion or whether capture is contingent on task demands is still
under debate. In the first experiment, we manipulated the relevance of a salient onset distractor. The onset distractor could
either be similar or dissimilar to the target. Error saccade latency distributions showed that early in time, oculomotor capture
was driven purely bottom-up irrespective of distractor similarity. Later in time, top-down information became available resulting
in contingent capture. In the second experiment, we manipulated the saliency information at the target location. A salient
onset stimulus could be presented either at the target or at a non-target location. The latency distributions of error and
correct saccades had a similar time-course as those observed in the first experiment. Initially, the distributions overlapped
but later in time task-relevant information decelerated the oculomotor system. The present findings reveal the interaction
between bottom-up and top-down processes in oculomotor behavior. We conclude that the task relevance of a salient event is
not crucial for capture of the eyes to occur. Moreover, task-relevant information may integrate with saliency information
to initiate saccades, but only later in time.
M3 - Article
SN - 0014-4819
JO - Experimental Brain Research
JF - Experimental Brain Research
ER -