Learning to ignore salient distractors: Attentional set and habituation

Attentional capture by salient distractors can be attenuated by the target search strategy (feature-search mode vs. singleton-detection mode) adopted, as well as by learning processes concerning the distractor features. Hence, two different models, one based on the task-relevant and one on the task-irrelevant information, would interact in the control of attention. Here, we investigated whether the search mode used to locate the target can affect the possibility to reject salient distractor on the basis of habituation mechanisms. Our results showed that when a feature-search mode was used, capture by a uniquely-coloured distractor was progressively reduced with practice, a result consistent with the habituation of capture phenomenon (Experiment 1). Conversely, when a singleton-detection mode was used habituation of capture was prevented (Experiment 2), both when the distractor feature remained constant (Experiment 3) and when a prolonged exposure to the distractor was allowed (Experiment 4). We propose that when the templates for the task-relevant (i.e., the target) and the task-irrelevant (i.e., the distractor) information overlap the former prevails in the control of attention, and prevents habituation of capture to take place.