Differences in the duration of the attentional blink when viewing nature vs. urban scenes.

Publisher: Springer Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101495384 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1943-393X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19433921 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Atten Percept Psychophys Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: 2011- : New York : Springer
Original Publication: Austin, Tex. : Psychonomic Society

Attentional Blink*/physiology; Humans ; Time Factors

The current study examined how viewing nature vs. urban scenes impacts the duration of the attentional blink. Nature scenes produce a broader allocation of attention, allowing attention to spread and reduce the ability to disengage attention. Urban scenes produce a narrowed allocation of attention, allowing efficient encoding of relevant information, inhibition of irrelevant information and a speedier disengagement of attention. Participants viewed a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) of either nature or urban scenes. For both scene categories, an attentional blink was evident by reduced accuracy for reporting a second target that occurred two or three scenes after an accurately reported first target. However, the duration of the attentional blink was reduced for urban scenes compared with nature scenes. A peripheral target detection task confirmed a difference in the allocation of attention between scene categories. The peripheral targets were better detected for nature scenes, suggesting that participants have a broader spread of attention for nature scenes, even in an RSVP task. The shorter duration of the attentional blink for urban scenes was consistent across four experiments with small and large sets of urban and nature scenes. Therefore, urban scenes reliably reduce the attentional blink duration compared with nature scenes, and this could be attributed to a narrowed attention allocation that allows speedier disengagement of attention in an RSVP.
(© 2023. The Psychonomic Society, Inc.)

Arend, I., Johnston, S., & Shapiro, K. (2006). Task-irrelevant visual motion and flicker attenuate the attentional blink. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 13(4), 600–607. (PMID: 10.3758/BF03193969)
Arnell, K. M., & Shapiro, K. L. (2011). Attentional blink and repetition blindness. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 2(3), 336–344. (PMID: 26302081)
Beck, M. R., Hong, S. L., van Lamsweerde, A. E., & Ericson, J. M. (2014). The effects of incidentally learned temporal and spatial predictability on response times and visual fixations during target detection and discrimination. PLOS ONE, 9(4), e94539. (PMID: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094539247329653986114)
Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, 19(12), 1207–1212. (PMID: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x19121124)
Berto, R., Massaccesi, S., & Pasini, M. (2008). Do eye movements measured across high and low fascination photographs differ? Addressing Kaplan’s fascination hypothesis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28(2), 185–191. (PMID: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2007.11.004)
Chua, F. K. (2015). A moving overlay shrinks the attentional blink. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 77(1), 173–189. (PMID: 10.3758/s13414-014-0753-9)
Chun, M. M., & Potter, M. C. (1995). A two-stage model for multiple target detection in rapid serial visual presentation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 21(1), 109. (PMID: 7707027)
Crewther, D. P., Lawson, M. L., & Crewther, S. G. (2007). Global and local attention in the attentional blink. Journal of Vision, 7(14), 9–9. (PMID: 10.1167/7.14.9)
Dux, P. E., & Harris, I. M. (2007). On the failure of distractor inhibition in the attentional blink. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14(4), 723–728. (PMID: 10.3758/BF03196828)
Dux, P. E., & Marois, R. (2009). The attentional blink: A review of data and theory. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 71(8), 1683–1700. (PMID: 10.3758/APP.71.8.1683)
Einhäuser, W., Koch, C., & Makeig, S. (2007). The duration of the attentional blink in natural scenes depends on stimulus category. Vision Research, 47(5), 597–607. (PMID: 10.1016/j.visres.2006.12.007172750582025593)
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A., & Lang, A. G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41(4), 1149–1160. (PMID: 10.3758/BRM.41.4.114919897823)
Guerrero, G., & Calvillo, D. P. (2016). Animacy increases second target reporting in a rapid serial visual presentation task. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 23(6), 1832–1838. (PMID: 10.3758/s13423-016-1040-7)
Guevara Pinto, J. D., & Papesh, M. H. (2019). Incidental memory following rapid object processing: The role of attention allocation strategies. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 45(9), 1174. (PMID: 31219283)
Harris, I. M., Benito, C. T., & Dux, P. E. (2010). Priming from distractors in rapid serial visual presentation is modulated by image properties and attention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 36(6), 1595. (PMID: 20718560)
Henninger, F., Shevchenko, Y., Mertens, U. K., Kieslich, P. J., & Hilbig, B. E. (2019). lab.js: A free, open, online study builder. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/fqr49.
Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), 169–182. (PMID: 10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2)
Lavie, N. (1995). Perceptual load as a necessary condition for selective attention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 21(3), 451–468. (PMID: 7790827)
Lindh, D., Sligte, I. G., Assecondi, S., Shapiro, K. L., & Charest, I. (2019). Conscious perception of natural images is constrained by category-related visual features. Nature Communications, 10(1), 1–9. (PMID: 10.1038/s41467-019-12135-3)
MacLean, M. H., & Arnell, K. M. (2012). A conceptual and methodological framework for measuring and modulating the attentional blink. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 74(6), 1080–1097. (PMID: 10.3758/s13414-012-0338-4)
Marx, S., Hansen-Goos, O., Thrun, M., & Einhäuser, W. (2014). Rapid serial processing of natural scenes: Color modulates detection but neither recognition nor the attentional blink. Journal of Vision, 14(14), 4–4. (PMID: 10.1167/14.14.425515762)
Menzel, C., & Reese, G. (2021). Implicit associations with nature and urban environments: Effects of lower-level processed image properties. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 591403. (PMID: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.591403340932988172784)
Nieuwenstein, M. R., Chun, M. M., van der Lubbe, R. H., & Hooge, I. T. (2005). Delayed attentional engagement in the attentional blink. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 31(6), 1463. (PMID: 16366802)
Olivers, C. N., & Meeter, M. (2008). A boost and bounce theory of temporal attention. Psychological Review, 115(4), 836. (PMID: 10.1037/a001339518954206)
Olivers, C. N., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (2006). The beneficial effects of additional task load, positive affect, and instruction on the attentional blink. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 32(2), 364. (PMID: 16634676)
Papesh, M. H., & Pinto, J. D. G. (2019). Spotting rare items makes the brain “blink” harder: Evidence from pupillometry. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 1–13.
Pilotti, M., Klein, E., Golem, D., Piepenbrink, E., & Kaplan, K. (2015). Is viewing a nature video after work restorative? Effects on blood pressure, task performance, and long-term memory. Environment and Behavior, 47(9), 947–969. (PMID: 10.1177/0013916514533187)
Raymond, J. E., Shapiro, K. L., & Arnell, K. M. (1992). Temporary suppression of visual processing in an RSVP task: An attentional blink? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 18(3), 849. (PMID: 1500880)
Rusconi, P., & Huber, D. E. (2018). The perceptual wink model of non-switching attentional blink tasks. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 25(5), 1717–1739. (PMID: 10.3758/s13423-017-1385-6)
Shapiro, K. L., Raymond, J. E., & Arnell, K. M. (1994). Attention to visual pattern information produces the attentional blink in rapid serial visual presentation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 20(2), 357. (PMID: 8189198)
Shevchenko, Y. (2022). Open Lab: A web application for running and sharing online experiments. Behavior Research Methods, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-021-01776-2.
Slagter, H. A., & Georgopoulou, K. (2013). Distractor inhibition predicts individual differences in recovery from the attentional blink. PLOS ONE, 8(5), Article e64681.
Smith, S. D., Most, S. B., Newsome, L. A., & Zald, D. H. (2006). An emotion-induced attentional blink elicited by aversively conditioned stimuli. Emotion, 6(3), 523. (PMID: 10.1037/1528-3542.6.3.52316938093)
Taatgen, N. A., Juvina, I., Schipper, M., Borst, J. P., & Martens, S. (2009). Too much control can hurt: A threaded cognition model of the attentional blink. Cognitive Psychology, 59(1), 1–29. (PMID: 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2008.12.00219217086)
Tkacz-Domb, S., & Yeshurun, Y. (2017). Spatial attention alleviates temporal crowding, but neither temporal nor spatial uncertainty are necessary for the emergence of temporal crowding. Journal of Vision, 17(3), 9–9. (PMID: 10.1167/17.3.928282481)
Valtchanov, D., & Ellard, C. G. (2015). Cognitive and affective responses to natural scenes: Effects of low level visual properties on preference, cognitive load and eye-movements. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 43, 184–195. (PMID: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.07.001)
Visser, T. A., Zuvic, S. M., Bischof, W. F., & Di Lollo, V. (1999). The attentional blink with targets in different spatial locations. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 6(3), 432–436. (PMID: 10.3758/BF03210831)
Wierda, S. M., Van Rijn, H., Taatgen, N. A., & Martens, S. (2010). Distracting the mind improves performance: An ERP study. PLOS ONE, 5(11), e15024. (PMID: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015024211248332991328)
Willems, C., & Martens, S. (2016). Time to see the bigger picture: Individual differences in the attentional blink. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 23(5), 1289–1299. (PMID: 10.3758/s13423-015-0977-2)
Xiao, J., Hays, J., Ehinger, K. A., Oliva, A., & Torralba, A. (2010). Sun database: Large-scale scene recognition from abbey to zoo. In 2010 IEEE computer society conference on computer vision and pattern recognition (pp. 3485–3492). IEEE.
Zivony, A., & Lamy, D. (2016). Attentional capture and engagement during the attentional blink: A “camera” metaphor of attention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 42(11), 1886. (PMID: 27736118)

Keywords: Attentional blink; Disengagement of attention; Dual-target rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP); Nature scenes; Urban scenes

Date Created: 20230706 Date Completed: 20231004 Latest Revision: 20231004

20240829

10.3758/s13414-023-02749-7

37415062