Publications

Abstract

Huang, L, and Pashler, H (2005). Expectation and repetition effects in searching for featural singletons in very brief displays. Perception & Psychophysics, 67 (1), 150-157.

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We studied the effects of expectation and repetition in searching for singletons in very brief displays. In Experiment 1, we found that when a given feature defined the singleton for a whole block—so that in every trial the subject could expect a particular target feature — search accuracy was significantly higher than when the feature setting was randomly re-determined from trial to trial. However, an unexpected repetition triggered almost no advantage. In Experiment 2, we found no advantage for expected alternation. Experiments 3 and 4 demonstrated that there is little or no advantage for perception in conditions allowing only for target-feature facilitation or distractor-feature inhibition. We propose that in singleton search, a division of feature space facilitates detection, and this division works best under conditions of expected repetition. Experiment 5 replicated Experiment 1, but examined reaction times and long display exposures. Results suggested that previous findings of singleton priming reflect mainly post-perceptual factors.