Abstract
Subsequent search misses (SSM) effect is the decrease in accuracy of second target detection after finding the first target in visual search task. According to resource depletion and “perceptual bias” accounts functioning of attention underlies the SSM errors (Cain et al., 2013). The purpose of the current study was to experimentally estimate the role of attentional template in SSM errors. Participants completed a visual search task with real-life objects. The targets were indicated at the beginning of each trial. Three types of templates were used: the verbal title of the target category, the morphed averaged image of an object from a category, or both title and image. Participants’ task was to find all the targets or to report their absence. On each trial, there could be one, two or no targets. In dual-target trials, targets could be identical images or different images. Target report accuracy was analyzed for different target templates and target similarity conditions. Two-way rmANOVA revealed the effects of target template (F(2, 57) = 6.074, p = 0.004; ηp2 = 0.167) and targets identity (F(1.780, 101.444) = 11.402, p < 0.001; ηp2 = 0.176). The significant SSM effect was revealed for identical, but not for different targets when the targets were defined as the verbal title of the target category (W = 160.500, p = .040). SSM effect was also found for different targets when the target was defined as a morphed averaged image of an object from a category ( t = 3.283, df = 19, p = .004). For both image and title template condition, SSM effects were also found for different targets (t = 3.476, df = 19, p = .003). Overall, detailing of the target template had the impact on SSM errors. However, the effect depends on stimuli identity.