Speaker
Description
Inhibition Of Return (IOR) is a well-known attentional mechanism that slows responses to previously attended spatial locations, promoting exploration of new areas during visual search. For instance, when searching for car keys on a cluttered desk, we instinctively avoid rechecking places we have just looked at, reflecting the adaptive role of IOR.
A recent study suggests that IOR may not only operate on spatial locations but also affect search direction: once a target is identified, observers tend to look for the next target in a different direction, avoiding the previously followed trajectory.
To examine this, we conducted an eye-tracking study using circular visual displays. Each display consisted of a central fixation cross and a ring of stimuli (5 cm radius) —seven letters, one number. Participants were instructed to find the number with their eyes and fixate on it for 1s to proceed. Upon detection, a second, similar circle appeared, aligned in the same direction as the first target. In this second display, the new target could appear in the same direction as the previous one, or deviate from it by 45°, 90°, 135°, or 180°. We analysed the entry times into the AOI where the second target appeared. Results showed that targets appearing in directions similar to the previous direction, required significantly more time to be identified, compared to those in the opposite direction.
These findings support the existence of a novel inhibitory phenomenon potentially in conflict with IOR: Inhibition Of Direction, extending traditional IOR to include search trajectories.
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