Table 1
Capture studies can be divided into four categories based on whether the search is easy (parallel) vs. difficult (serial) and whether the target is a singleton or a nonsingleton. According to the attentional window account, capture occurs with an easy, parallel search but not with a difficult, serial search. The target search mode account, however, predicts that capture occurs with a singleton target but not with a nonsingleton target. The shaded cells are the only ones where the two models make conflicting predictions. Yes: capture; No: No capture.
| EASY/PARALLEL SEARCH | DIFFICULT/SERIAL SEARCH | |
|---|---|---|
| Singleton Target Search | Target Search Mode: Yes Attentional Window: Yes | Target Search Mode: Yes Attentional Window: No |
| Nonsingleton Target Search | Target Search Mode: No Attentional Window: Yes | Target Search Mode: No Attentional Window: No |
Figure 1
An example of the search display (setsize 20) in Theeuwes (2004).
Figure 2
An example event sequence for the valid condition in Lien et al. (2010).