Limitations on the Parallel Guidance of Visual Search : Color x Color and Orientation x Orientation Conjuctions

In visual search for a conjunction it is much more difficult to search for the conjunction of 2 colors or 2 orientations than for Color x Orientation or Color x Shape conjunctions. The result is not limited to particular colors or shapes. Two colors cannot occupy the same spatial location in Color x Color searches. However, Experiments 6 and 7 show that Color x Shape searches remain efficient even if the color and shape are spatially separated. Our guided search model suggests that in searches for Color x Shape, a parallel color module can guide attention toward the correct color, whereas the shape module guides attention toward the correct shape. Together these 2 sources of guidance lead attention to the target. However, if a target is red and green among red-blue and green-blue distractors, it is not possible to guide search independently toward red items and green items or away from all blue items.

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