Authors
Viola S Störmer, George A Alvarez
Publication date
2014/9/8
Journal
Current Biology
Volume
24
Issue
17
Pages
1985-1988
Publisher
Elsevier
Description
It is known that focusing attention on a particular feature (e.g., the color red) facilitates the processing of all objects in the visual field containing that feature [1–7]. Here, we show that such feature-based attention not only facilitates processing but also actively inhibits processing of similar, but not identical, features globally across the visual field. We combined behavior and electrophysiological recordings of frequency-tagged potentials in human observers to measure this inhibitory surround in feature space. We found that sensory signals of an attended color (e.g., red) were enhanced, whereas sensory signals of colors similar to the target color (e.g., orange) were suppressed relative to colors more distinct from the target color (e.g., yellow). Importantly, this inhibitory effect spreads globally across the visual field, thus operating independently of location. These findings suggest that feature-based attention comprises an …
Scholar articles
VS Störmer, GA Alvarez - Current Biology, 2014