Abstract
Purpose: Using an exogenous cue, selective attention can be applied to a particular area in the visual field. It has been reported that in certain situations the efficiency of processing inside the attended area is inversely related to the size of the area; a smaller cue size leads to a stronger cue effect. This study investigated the effect of the size of the cue and the SOA between cue and test stimuli using three measures (simple RT, search RT and Temporal Order- TO). Methods: Peripheral cues were a briefly flashed black outline circle, always with central fixation. As a control, the task was also done without a cue. For RT, the test stimuli (either 1 target alone, or 1 target and 3 distracters) were presented inside or outside of the cued region and participants had to report the orientation of the target. For TO, observers viewed two small black circles, one inside the cue and one outside and had to decide which one appeared first (2AFC). Results: Though cue presence always led to faster processing, the cue-size effect was not universally present. For simple RT and TO, we found cue-size effects that depended on SOA. Conclusion: At least from our measures, the cue size effect is not robust. It depends on the task and the SOA.
NSERC, FQRSC (MvG), Capes, CNPq (CG)