The role of relational information in the guidance of visual attention (2011-2014)
Abstract
How do we select relevant information from a cluttered visual environment? Current visual search models claim that attention is usually tuned to specific feature maps (e.g., red, large). Contrary to this conception, I recently discovered that observers tune attention to the relational properties of objects (e.g., redder, larger), and developed a new relational account of attention. The present project aims to further develop and test Becker's relational theory, by identifying the determinants and the neurophysiological correlates of attention. The results will have the potential to revolutionise current models of attention and will shed new light on fundamental questions concerning both the determinants and functions of visual attention.
