VISUAL QUALITY AND ATTENTIONAL CAPTURE - A CHALLENGE TO THE SPECIAL ROLE OF ABRUPT ONSETS

This article investigates the nature of stimulus-driven attentional ca pture. Previous studies (e.g., J. Jonides & S. Yantis, 1988) have sugg ested that only a single visual feature-abrupt visual onset-can elicit stimulus-driven attentional capture. Two experiments are reported tha t challenge the special status of abrupt onsets in attentional capture . In particular, this evidence suggests that abrupt onsets appear to a ttenuate display-size effects only in certain experimental contexts th at inadvertently increase the ease with which they are perceived. Cons equently, the special status attributed to abrupt onsets is argued to derive from their higher visual quality.