Effects of Placeholders on Overt Shifting of Attention (2012)

Undergraduate: Claire Jordan

Faculty Advisor: Joseph Hopfinger
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience

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The ability to navigate through our surroundings is dependent on the preferential processing of visuospatial attention. Voluntary and involuntary shifts in attention determine which salient stimuli in the visual field are attended at any given moment. These shifts in attention can be classified as covert or overt, with overt shifts in attention occurring with the physical movement of the eyes. A previous study in our lab examined the effects of visual anchors on covert shifts of attention and found that visual anchors increased the hold of attention but not the initial capture. In the present study, we used an eye tracker with the same design to determine if visual anchors equally affected saccade latencies. This study adds to the understanding of overt shifts of attention by showing the effect visual anchors have on one’s ability to reorient visuospatial attention.