Visual detection during the spatial distribution of attention

Abstract

The present study investigated the possibility of attending to two areas of visual space without mutual interference. Subjects detected brief light flashes within two concentric circles under various conditions of allocating attention between the two circles. Performance within the inner circle was not affected when attention was allocated simultaneously to the outer circle, but there was a slight impairment in detecting stimuli in the outer circle if attention was also directed to the inner circle. These result ts are interpreted in terms of the two spaces being monitored independently but with some evidence of limited resources. It is likely that resources of visual attention reduce as a function of distance from the center of fixation even allowing for equivalence in the perceptual strength of stimuli prior to dividing attention.