ABSTRACT

Attention can be oriented in both space and time in response to trial-variant cues when, say, their colour predicts the spatial location and their shape predicts cue-to-target stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA), producing spatial and temporal cueing effects [faster response times (RTs) on validly- than invalidly-cued trials]. We investigated whether spatial and temporal cueing effects are found when spatiotemporal probability is also known (e.g., targets typically occur on the left at short SOAs and on the right at long SOAs; a trial-invariant cue). Temporal cueing effects were found in hit rates at long SOAs. Spatiotemporal probability validity effects were observed in RTs at both SOAs. Spatial cueing effects were observed in RTs except on short SOA trials when spatiotemporal probability was invalid. Our results show that participants can use the benefits of both trial-invariant (spatiotemporal probability) and trial-variant spatial and temporal cues, implicating a flexible, plastic, attentional orienting system.

摘要

例如，当颜色的颜色预示着空间位置并且形状的预示着提示到目标的刺激发作异步（SOA）时，注意力就可以在时空上定向，从而产生时空提示效果[更快有效提示试验与无效提示试验的响应时间（RT）]。我们调查了当还知道时空概率时是否发现了空间和时间提示效果（例如，目标通常在短SOA时出现在左侧，而在长SOA时出现在右侧；尝试不变的提示）。在长时间SOA的命中率中发现了时间提示效应。在两个SOA的RT中都观察到时空概率效度效应。除了短期SOA试验（时空概率无效）外，在RT中观察到空间提示效应。