Introduction
Scientists need to learn more about the human brain, particularly the location of attention. At the same time, the investigation into this issue is valuable for psychologists and healthcare professionals who work with the human brain and study the organism’s reactions. In particular, there are different opinions on whether attention location is space-based or object-based.
The empirical evidence from scholarly literature shows that the results on this topic are conflicting. There are situations when space-based attention is prevalent, even though object-based attention is dominant in most cases. This paper analyzes six relevant articles on the topic of attention location to determine the type that occurs more often. The results suggest that the combination of space- and object-based attentional location is the underlying mechanism of the human psyche, as it enables people to process information optimally.
Experiments on Focusing Attention on Locations vs. Objects
Nah and Shomstein’s Study on Object- and Space-Based Attention
The main point in the discussion of attention location is that both objects and space are vital in this psychological mechanism. No single mechanism in the human brain is responsible for directing attention to either objects or spaces, and the results depend on the situation (Nah & Shomstein, 2020). In addition, these processes do not exclude each other, meaning that other factors related to attention location are also critical (Nah & Shomstein, 2020).
Experiments on attention location began in the 1980s, utilizing a paradigm of two rectangles to assess the distribution of attention between objects (Nah & Shomstein, 2020). There is controversy about the results of this experiment due to the statistical imbalance that has been occurring for decades. Nah and Shomstein (2020) claim that “spatial biases are prioritized over object representations while objects bias attention.
Combined results suggest that object-based contribution to attentional guidance results from spatial probabilities and object representations.” (p. 981). Four experiments support these results, allowing the authors to articulate their conclusions. Therefore, attention is simultaneously object- and space-based.
Zhao et al.’s Study on Audiovisual Stimuli and Attention Spreading
Other scholars support the hypothesis about the dual mechanism of attention location. Zhao et al. (2021) discuss the impact of space-based selective attention on the overall process of attention spreading. The researchers emphasize the importance of auditory and visual stimuli in the mechanisms of attention location (Zhao et al., 2021). The combination of these sensations leads to changes in the perception of the stimulus and affects the object’s recognition (Zhao et al., 2021). It allows one to state that the stimulus is a vital way of spreading attention.
O’Bryan and Scolari’s Study on Voluntary Object-Based Attention
It is possible to discuss the priorities the human mind makes in attention location based on the person’s needs. O’Bryan and Scolari (2021) claim that their experiments demonstrate that the individual can voluntarily control object-based attention. In particular, object contours facilitate object-based selection, which influences the location of this type of attention (O’Bryan & Scolari, 2021). In all cases, the person can consciously focus on the object instead of the space when there is a practical need for this type of attention location.
Liao et al.’s Study on Audiovisual Object Interaction with Space
Similar conclusions can be applied to the perception of audiovisual objects and interaction with the space in these cases, as Liao et al. (2022) write. The researchers state that “auditory object-based attention contains the space representation of the attended auditory object, even when the object is oriented without explicit spatial guidance (Liao et al., 2022, p. 1). These lines indicate that space-based attention is as critical as object-based attention, particularly when the person does not focus solely on the visual representation of the object. It allows us to hypothesize that the combination of attention location occurs when the situation is compounded, and the human brain has to interact with various stimuli.
Scolari and Awh’s Study on Individualized Visual Attention
Similar results are articulated in the article by Scolari and Awh, which allows us to assume that different scholars come to similar conclusions in their studies of attention location. Scolari and Awh (2019) write that special attention facilitates the perception of visual information when combined with object-based attention. Additionally, attention depends significantly on the personal perception of both distractors and targets (Scolari & Awh, 2019). It highlights the need to develop a more individualized approach to studying attention location.
Limitations and Future Research on Attention Location
At the same time, there are other limitations to the current research stage on this topic. For instance, scholars need to possess information about the mechanisms of attention location when there are numerous objects and multiple spaces (Moore et al., 2022). As a result, there is a need to study the discussed theme in more detail to elaborate on an objective vision of attention location mechanisms.
Conclusion
Attention location is one of the topics that scholars have discussed for several decades. The researchers have no single opinion about the prevalence of object and space-based location. The authors agree that numerous factors contribute to this mechanism, including the individual’s characteristics, their needs at the particular moment, and potential distractions. It states that these results indicate that individuals make partially conscious decisions regarding the choice of attention location, based on the situation and their needs. Therefore, object-based and space-based attention is the most effective in complex situations.
References
Liao, H. I., Fujihira, H., Yamagishi, S., Yang, Y. H., & Furukawa, S. (2022). Seeing auditory object: Pupillary light response reflects covert attention to auditory space and object. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 1–15. Web.
Moore, C. M., Pai, J., & Palmer, J. (2022). Divided attention effects in visual search are caused by objects not by space. Journal of Vision, 22(12), 2. Web.
Nah, J. C., & Shomstein, S. (2020). Target frequency modulates object-based attention. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 27(5), 981–989. Web.
O’Bryan, S. R., & Scolari, M. (2021). Phasic pupillary responses modulate object-based attentional prioritization. Attention, Perception & Psychophysics, 83(4), 1491–1507. Web.
Scolari, M., & Awh, E. (2019). Object-based biased competition during covert spatial orienting. Attention, Perception & Psychophysics, 81(5), 1366–1385. Web.
Zhao, S., Li, Y., Wang, C., Feng, C., & Feng, W. (2021). Updating the dual-mechanism model for cross-sensory attentional spreading: The influence of space-based visual selective attention. Human Brain Mapping, 42(18), 6038–6052. Web.