When searching for an object, we use a target template in memory that contains task-relevant information to guide visual attention to potential targets and to determine the identity of attended objects. These processes in visual search have typically been assumed to rely on a common source of template information. However, our recent work (Yu et al., 2022) argued that attentional guidance and target-match decisions rely on different information during search, with guidance using a "fuzzier" version of the template compared with target decisions. However, that work was based on the special case of search for a target amongst linearly separable distractors (e.g., search for an orange target amongst yellower distractors). Real-world search targets, however, are infrequently linearly separable from distractors, and it remains unclear whether the differences between the precision of template information used for guidance compared with target decisions also applies under more typical conditions. In four experiments, we tested this question by varying distractor similarity during visual search and measuring the likelihood of attentional guidance to distractors and target misidentifications. We found that early attentional guidance is indeed less precise than that of subsequent match decisions under varying exposure durations and distractor set sizes. These results suggest that attentional guidance operates on a coarser code than decisions, perhaps because guidance is constrained by lower acuity in peripheral vision or the need to rapidly explore a wide region of space while decisions about selected objects are more precise to optimize decision accuracy.

Xinger Yu

Simran K. Johal

Joy J. Geng

Attention Perception & Psychophysics

The journal Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics is an official journal of the Psychonomic Society.   It spans all areas of research in sensory processes, perception, attention, and psychophysics. Most articles published are reports of experimental work; the journal also presents theoretical, integrative, and evaluative reviews. Commentary on issues of importance to researchers appears in a special section of the journal. Founded in 1966 as Perception & Psychophysics, the journal assumed its present name in 2009.

The journal Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics is the official journal of the Psychonomic Society, covering all areas of research in sensory processes, perception, attention, and psychophysics. Most articles published are reports of experimental work, and the journal also features theoretical, integrative, and evaluative reviews. A special section of the journal includes commentary on issues of importance to researchers. Founded in 1966 as Perception & Psychophysics, the journal adopted its current name in 2009.

《Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics》是心理学学会的官方期刊，涵盖了感官过程、知觉、注意力和心理物理学的所有研究领域。大多数发表的文章是实验研究报告，期刊还提供理论性、综合性和评估性的综述。期刊的特别栏目中会对研究者关注的重要问题进行评论。该期刊成立于1966年，最初名为《Perception & Psychophysics》，并于2009年更名为现在的名称。

Category	Quartile
心理学	4
心理学, 心理学	4
心理学, 心理学实验	4

Visual search guidance uses coarser template information than target-match decisions

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL	3