Practice Strengthens Spatiotopic, and Weakens Retinotopic, Inhibition of Return H Krueger, A Hunt |
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Psychology, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom
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| The ability to search the visual environment is a crucial function of the visual system. The finding that a cued location is inhibited if attention has been removed from this location is one potential mechanism to facilitate efficient search. Inhibition of Return (IOR) is known to be coded in space-based coordinates, consistent with the idea that IOR facilitates search. However, recently studies have emerged that report retinotopic inhibition alongside the spatiotopic tag, casting doubt on the putative function of IOR. We examined IOR over extended task exposure, measuring reaction time to detect a target in cued and uncued locations with a saccade intervening between the cue and target. Retinotopic IOR was weakened with practice , and eliminated in the final third of the experiment. Spatiotopic IOR, in contrast, was strengthened by practice. This finding is consistent with retinotopic IOR being an undesirable, but avoidable, consequence of inhibiting locations while moving the eyes. Unfamiliar laboratory tasks may produce retinotopic IOR that would perhaps not be observed in more naturalistic or familiar search situations. Studies examining the remapping of spatial attention should take practice effects into account. |
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