Focusing the spotlight: individual differences in visual attention control.

Full Abstract

A time-course analysis of visual attention focusing (attentional constraint) was conducted in groups of participants with high and low working memory spans, a dimension the authors have argued reflects the ability to control attention. In 4 experiments, participants performed the Eriksen flanker paradigm under increasing levels of speed stress. Conditional accuracy functions were derived to measure the time course of attentional constraint. The data showed that accuracy rates rose toward asymptote at different rates, with participants with high working memory spans reaching peak performance before participants with low working memory spans. The authors interpret these data in terms of a rate of attention constraint model.

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Author information

Author/s: Heitz, Richard P (RP); Engle, Randall W (RW);

Affiliation: School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA. richard.heitz(-atsign-)psych.gatech.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of experimental psychology. General (J Exp Psychol Gen), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-May; vol 136 (issue 2) : pp 217-40

Dates: Created 2007/05/15; Completed 2007/07/03;

PMID: 17500647, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Attention
Humans

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