Experience-dependent perceptual grouping and object-based attention
Numerous studies have shown that attention can be allocated to objects as well
as locations in the visual field even if the objects are partially occluded.
A fundamental question concerns the nature of the `objects' for which this
attentional benefit applies. Current studies have shown that objects can be
defined on the basis of Gestalt grouping principles as well as on the basis of
familiarity. Both the effects of grouping as well as familiarity can be
understood in terms of a more general hypothesis: that perceptual experience
with particular feature combinations determines whether or not two features
will be integrated as an object of attention. We present data from four
studies showing that recently experienced novel feature combinations gain the
object attentional benefit and that this effect is realized by different
feature combinations under a range of experimental conditions. These studies
indicate that object attention is adaptive and responsive to the statistical
structure of the environment.
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