The role of perceptual load in inattentional blindness.

@article{citeulike:1082308, abstract = {Perceptual load theory offers a resolution to the long-standing early vs. late selection debate over whether task-irrelevant stimuli are perceived, suggesting that irrelevant perception depends upon the perceptual load of task-relevant processing. However, previous evidence for this theory has relied on RTs and neuroimaging. Here we tested the effects of load on conscious perception using the "inattentional blindness" paradigm. As predicted by load theory, awareness of a task-irrelevant stimulus was significantly reduced by higher perceptual load (with increased numbers of search items, or a harder discrimination vs. detection task). These results demonstrate that conscious perception of task-irrelevant stimuli critically depends upon the level of task-relevant perceptual load rather than intentions or expectations, thus enhancing the resolution to the early vs. late selection debate offered by the perceptual load theory.}, address = {Department of Psychology, University College London, UK.}, author = {Cartwright-Finch, U. and Lavie, N. }, citeulike-article-id = {1082308}, doi = {10.1016/j.cognition.2006.01.002}, issn = {0010-0277}, journal = {Cognition}, keywords = {attention-visual, attentional-load-manipulations, heather}, month = {March}, number = {3}, pages = {321--340}, posted-at = {2007-02-01 17:50:07}, priority = {2}, title = {The role of perceptual load in inattentional blindness.}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2006.01.002}, volume = {102}, year = {2007} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:1082308 L3 - citeulike-article-id:1082308 TI - The role of perceptual load in inattentional blindness. JF - Cognition VL - 102 IS - 3 SP - 321 EP - 340 AD - Department of Psychology, University College London, UK. SN - 0010-0277 N2 - Perceptual load theory offers a resolution to the long-standing early vs. late selection debate over whether task-irrelevant stimuli are perceived, suggesting that irrelevant perception depends upon the perceptual load of task-relevant processing. However, previous evidence for this theory has relied on RTs and neuroimaging. Here we tested the effects of load on conscious perception using the "inattentional blindness" paradigm. As predicted by load theory, awareness of a task-irrelevant stimulus was significantly reduced by higher perceptual load (with increased numbers of search items, or a harder discrimination vs. detection task). These results demonstrate that conscious perception of task-irrelevant stimuli critically depends upon the level of task-relevant perceptual load rather than intentions or expectations, thus enhancing the resolution to the early vs. late selection debate offered by the perceptual load theory. KW - attention-visual KW - attentional-load-manipulations KW - heather AU - Cartwright-Finch, U AU - Lavie, N PY - 2007/03// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2006.01.002 ER -