The role of perceptual load in inattentional blindness. Cartwright-Finch, U. & Lavie, N. Cognition, 102(3):321-40, 2007.
doi  abstract   bibtex   
Perceptual load theory offers a resolution to the long-standing early vs. late selection debate over whether task-irrelevant stimuli are perceived, suggesting that irrelevant perception depends upon the perceptual load of task-relevant processing. However, previous evidence for this theory has relied on RTs and neuroimaging. Here we tested the effects of load on conscious perception using the "inattentional blindness" paradigm. As predicted by load theory, awareness of a task-irrelevant stimulus was significantly reduced by higher perceptual load (with increased numbers of search items, or a harder discrimination vs. detection task). These results demonstrate that conscious perception of task-irrelevant stimuli critically depends upon the level of task-relevant perceptual load rather than intentions or expectations, thus enhancing the resolution to the early vs. late selection debate offered by the perceptual load theory.
@Article{Cartwright-Finch2007,
  author   = {Ula Cartwright-Finch and Nilli Lavie},
  journal  = {Cognition},
  title    = {The role of perceptual load in inattentional blindness.},
  year     = {2007},
  number   = {3},
  pages    = {321-40},
  volume   = {102},
  abstract = {Perceptual load theory offers a resolution to the long-standing early
	vs. late selection debate over whether task-irrelevant stimuli are
	perceived, suggesting that irrelevant perception depends upon the
	perceptual load of task-relevant processing. However, previous evidence
	for this theory has relied on RTs and neuroimaging. Here we tested
	the effects of load on conscious perception using the "inattentional
	blindness" paradigm. As predicted by load theory, awareness of a
	task-irrelevant stimulus was significantly reduced by higher perceptual
	load (with increased numbers of search items, or a harder discrimination
	vs. detection task). These results demonstrate that conscious perception
	of task-irrelevant stimuli critically depends upon the level of task-relevant
	perceptual load rather than intentions or expectations, thus enhancing
	the resolution to the early vs. late selection debate offered by
	the perceptual load theory.},
  doi      = {10.1016/j.cognition.2006.01.002},
  keywords = {16480973},
}

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