Distractor-response binding influences visual search

Abstract

Intertrial priming effects in visual search and action control suggest the involvement of binding and retrieval processes. However, the role of distractor-response binding (DRB) in visual search has been largely overlooked, and the specific processing stage within the functional architecture of attentional guidance where the DRB occurs remains unclear. To address these gaps, we implemented two search tasks, where participants responded based on a separate feature from the one defining the target. We kept the target dimension consistent across trials while varying the color and shape of the distractor. Moreover, we either repeated or randomized the target position in different sessions. Our results revealed a pronounced response priming, a difference between trials where the response changed versus repeated, and importantly this response priming was stronger when distractor features or the target position were repeated than when they changed. These insights affirm the presence of DRB during visual search and support the framework of binding and retrieval in action control as a basis for observed intertrial priming effects related to distractor features. All data are available at: https://github.com/msenselab/distractor_binding.