Abstract
In search for a color, target a precue in the target color captures attention to its location, while a precue in a different color does not, supporting the notion that involuntary capture is contingent on attentional settings. In some cases, irrelevant-color cues even produce the reverse effect, that is, a same-location cost. We recently interpreted this cost as the cost of updating an object representation in working memory when this object changes. Here we use a spatial cueing paradigm in which the target display is clearly visible, whereas the cue display is masked by continuous flash suppression (CFS) and as a result, is invisible on a substantial percentage of the trials. We show that contingent capture occurs also with invisible precues, thereby showing a clear dissociation between attention and conscious vision. In addition, we show that a salient yet invisible stimulus is more likely to thrust into consciousness when it matches the current attentional set (relevant-color cue) than when it does not (irrelevant-color cue). Finally, we show that the same-location cost occurs only when the precue is consciously perceived, thus further validating the hypothesis that this cost is related to working memory.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2014