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Semantic Influences on Overt and Covert Visual Attention

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posted on 2021-11-10, 10:24 authored by Weaver, Matthew David

People are constantly confronted by a barrage of visual information. Visual attention is the crucial mechanism which selects for further processing, subsets of information which are most behaviourally relevant, allowing us to function effectively within our everyday environment. This thesis explored how semantic information (i.e., information which has meaning) encountered within the environment influences the selective orienting of visual attention. Past research has shown semantic information does affect the orienting of attention, but the processes by which it does so remain unclear. The extent of semantic influence on the visual attention system was determined by parsing visual orienting into the tractable components of covert and overt orienting, and capture and hold process stages therein. This thesis consisted of a series of experiments which were designed, utilising well- established paradigms and semantic manipulations in concert with eye-tracking techniques, to test whether the capture and hold of either overt or covert forms of visual attention were influenced by semantic information. Taking together the main findings across all experiments, the following conclusions were drawn. 1) Semantic information differentially influences covert and overt attentional orienting processes. 2) The capture and hold of covert attention is generally uninfluenced by semantic information. 3) Semantic information briefly encountered in the environment can facilitate or prime action independent of covert attentional orienting.4) Overt attention can be both preferentially captured and held by semantically salient information encountered in visual environments. The visual attentional system thus appears to have a complex relationship with semantic information encountered in the visual environment. Semantic information has a differential influence on selective orienting processes that depends on the form of orienting employed and a range of circumstances under which attentional selection takes place.

History

Copyright Date

2010-01-01

Date of Award

2010-01-01

Publisher

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Rights License

Author Retains Copyright

Degree Discipline

Psychology

Degree Grantor

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Degree Level

Doctoral

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Victoria University of Wellington Item Type

Awarded Doctoral Thesis

Language

en_NZ

Victoria University of Wellington School

School of Psychology

Advisors

Lauwereyns, Jan