Stimuli signaling threat are often processed especially rapidly (e.g., Fox, Russo, & Dutton, 2002).
Similarly, some studies have suggested that expressions of fear have a strong pull on our attention
because they signal threat (e.g., Phelps, Ling, & Carrasco, 2006; Shaw, Lien, Ruthruff, & Allen, in press;
Vuilleumier & Schwartz,...
It has been claimed that stimuli signaling threat are processed rapidly and
draw our attention (e.g., Fox, Russo, & Dutton, 2002). Similarly, it has been
argued that expressions of fear have a strong pull on our attention because
they signal threat (e.g., Phelps, Ling, & Carrasco, 2006; Vuilleumier &
Schwartz,...
A previous dual-task study (Lien, Ruthruff, Cornett, Goodin, & Allen, 2008) provided evidence that people have difficulty identifying words while central attention is devoted to another non-word task. In that study, participants performed an auditory Task 1 regarding tone pitch and a visual word Task 2. However, it’s possible that...
Some studies suggest that attention can be captured by irrelevant, salient objects when they appear rarely. We addressed this issue using the N2pc effect, a lateralized, negative voltage spike in the brain potentials in parietal cortex, thought to reflect attentional allocation. A cue display was followed by a target display...
Lien, Ruthruff, and Johnston (2010) reported that the attentional control system is able to rapidly and fully switch between different search settings (e.g., red to green), with no carryover. The present study examined whether such impressive flexibility is possible even with more complicated switches, namely singleton search and the feature...
The present study examined whether semantic activation for words occurs by encoding whole word shape in addition to individual letters. We used LEET stimuli, where digits were used as parts of words, such as “R34DING” instead of “READING”. Previous studies have suggested that LEET stimuli are encoded in a letter-like...
The present study examined whether semantic activation for words occurs by encoding whole word shape in addition to individual letters. We used LEET stimuli, where digits were used as parts of words, such as “R34DING” instead of “READING”. Previous studies have suggested that LEET stimuli are encoded in a letter-like...
Lien, Ruthruff, and Johnston (2010) reported that the attentional control system is able to rapidly and fully switch between different search settings (e.g., red to green), with no carryover. The present study examined whether such impressive flexibility is possible even with more complicated switches, namely singleton search and the feature...
Some studies have found that responses are faster when the orientation of an object’s graspable part corresponds with the response location than when it does not (i.e., the object-based correspondence effect). We examined Goslin et al.’s (2012) claim that the effect is the result of object-based attention (visual-action binding). As...
Previous studies have suggested that negatively valenced faces (e.g., angry faces) automatically capture attention away from faces with other emotional valences (e.g., happy faces and neutral faces). The present study evaluated whether this attentional bias enhances memory of the negative emotional faces. Participants first performed a gender discrimination task on...