作業種類與時間對物體為基注意力的影響

The Influence of Task and Time on Object-Based Attention

物體為基注意力理論（object-based attention theory）主張注意力不僅能分佈在空間，也能夠分佈在物體上。此研究檢驗物體為基注意力是否受到作業種類影響。三個實驗的結果發現作業種類、物體預覽時間以及線索－目標物的控制刺激呈現不同步（cue-to-target stimuli-onset asynchrony），會影響注意力在兩物體間之移動所需的時間。進一步來說，當給予簡單的作業以及允許較多的時間時（物體預覽時間或者線索－目標物的控制刺激呈現不同步），注意力移動到不同物體的遠端時，比移動到相同物體的遠端時，需要耗費更多時間。然而當給予困難的作業以及允許較少的時間時，注意力只有在移動到不同物體的近端時，才需耗費更多時間。注意力資源在相同物體上的分佈情形，受到作業種類和允許分佈時間的影響，進而影響注意力在兩物體間之移動所需的時間。

Object-based attention theory proposes that attention can be directed to the content (e.g., objects) of a scene regardless of spatial restrictions. The current experiments examined if the spatial extent of object- based attentional representations are also modulated by task. In three experiments, the presence of costs to switch attention between objects was found to be modulated by task difficulty, preview time for the objects, and the cue-to-target SOA. In general, simpler tasks and more time (object preview or cue-to-target SOA) allow for object switching costs at more distant locations on an object. The attentional resources available at task time appear to limit the distance along an object at which object-based effects occur.