Visual selection: facilitation due to stimulus saliency

Abstract

In this paper, we examine some effects of the selection of spatial location on the processing of subsequent stimuli. Both bottom-up selection due to priming and top-down selection due to attention are discussed. In experiments with the motion induction illusion, we demonstrate a speed-up of processing due to selection, a center/surround organization of facilitation and inhibition, and the equivalence of priming and attention. More generally, it is suggested that selection effects can be understood as activation of locations in striate or extra-striate cortex and that they are governed by stimulus salience.