McCormick P A
Department of Psychology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.
J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1997 Feb;23(1):168-80. doi: 10.1037//0096-1523.23.1.168.
Previous research has shown that visual attention can be directed to a spatial location in 2 qualitatively different ways. Attention can be allocated endogenously in response to centrally presented precues, or it can be captured exogenously by a visual stimulus with an abrupt onset. It has been suggested that exogenous orienting of attention is an automatic process, whereas endogenous orienting of attention represents a controlled and strategic process. M.I. Posner and C.R.R. Snyder (1975) suggested that an automatic process occurs without intention, does not interfere with other mental processes, and does not necessarily give rise to awareness, whereas a controlled process will likely interfere with other processes and necessarily requires intention and awareness. Three experiments investigated the role of awareness in orienting visual attention. Endogenous and exogenous components of orienting attention were placed in opposition to each other to assess the automaticity of exogenous orienting by examining the potential for brief stimulus events to capture attention in the absence of subjective awareness. Results show that an exogenous cue presented below a subjective threshold of awareness captured attention automatically and without awareness.
先前的研究表明，视觉注意力可以通过两种性质不同的方式被引导至一个空间位置。注意力可以根据中央呈现的预线索内源性地分配，或者它可以被一个突然出现的视觉刺激外源性地捕获。有人提出，注意力的外源性定向是一个自动过程，而注意力的内源性定向则代表一个受控的策略性过程。M.I.波斯纳和C.R.R.斯奈德（1975年）提出，一个自动过程是无意发生的，不干扰其他心理过程，也不一定会引起意识，而一个受控过程可能会干扰其他过程，并且必然需要意图和意识。三项实验研究了意识在引导视觉注意力中的作用。通过在没有主观意识的情况下检查短暂刺激事件捕获注意力的可能性，将注意力定向的内源性和外源性成分相互对立，以评估外源性定向的自动性。结果表明，呈现于主观意识阈值以下的外源性线索会自动且无意识地捕获注意力。
