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Cited by 18Visual perception and processing mechanismsVisual Attention and Saliency DetectionNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Mental imagery and visual attentional templates: A dissociation

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Cabbai, Giulia, Brown, Chris R.H., Dance, Carla, Simner, Julia, Forster, Sophie·2023·Cortex
DOI 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.09.014
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Abstract

There is a growing interest in the relationship between mental images and attentional templates as both are considered pictorial representations that involve similar neural mechanisms. Here, we investigated the role of mental imagery in the automatic implementation of attentional templates and their effect on involuntary attention. We developed a novel version of the contingent capture paradigm designed to encourage the generation of a new template on each trial and measure contingent spatial capture by a template-matching visual feature (color). Participants were required to search at four different locations for a specific object indicated at the start of each trial. Immediately prior to the search display, color cues were presented surrounding the potential target locations, one of which matched the target color (e.g., red for strawberry). Across three experiments, our task induced a robust contingent capture effect, reflected by faster responses when the target appeared in the location previously occupied by the target-matching cue. Contrary to our predictions, this effect remained consistent regardless of self-reported individual differences in visual mental imagery (Experiment 1, N = 216) or trial-by-trial variation of voluntary imagery vividness (Experiment 2, N = 121). Moreover, contingent capture was observed even among aphantasic participants, who report no imagery (Experiment 3, N = 91). The magnitude of the effect was not reduced in aphantasics compared to a contr…

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  • Several studies have suggested that people with aphantasia process visual tasks more slowly than people with normal imagery.

    “Several studies have suggested that people with aphantasia process visual tasks more slowly than people with normal imagery [64–67”

    From Aphantasia and hyperphantasia: exploring imagery vividness extremes (2024) · cites this paper as [67]

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Authors
Cabbai, G., Brown, C. R. H., Dance, C., Simner, J., & Forster, S.
Affiliations
  • University of Sussex (GB)
  • University of Roehampton (GB)
Corresponding author
Cabbai, Giulia
ORCID
Venue
Cortex
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2023-12
Volume
169
Pages
259-278
ISSN
0010-9452 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.cortex.2023.09.014
OpenAlex
W4388203003
Cited by
16
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 9
FWCI
2.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Cortex (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
  • OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Economic and Social Research Council (ES/W007320/1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition › Visual Attention and Saliency Detection
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
mental imagery, involuntary attention, aphantasia, imagery vividness, template matching, visual search, color cues, search strategies, pictorial representation
MeSH terms
Attention, Color Perception, Cues, Humans, Individuality, Reaction Time, Visual Perception, Imagery, Psychotherapy, Self Report

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