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FB Kolloq SoSe2026: Matteo Valsecchi

„Learning to resist distraction in visual search”

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Prof. Dr. Matteo Valsecchi, University of Bologna, Italy
„Learning to resist distraction in visual search”

Phenomena like statistical cueing (e.g. Geng & Behrmann, 2005) and contextual cueing (e.g. Chun & Jiang, 1998) clearly demonstrate the fact that learning mechanisms can be used to guide attention towards likely target positions in visual search. More recent evidence, however, also suggested that when distractors appear at locations associated with a high probability of target occurrence, interference is reduced (e.g. Wang & Theeuwes, 2018).
Here, I present evidence for the mechanisms underlying this learning-based reduction in distraction. In particular, I focus on the temporal dynamics of learning, the role of local distractor repetition, and the potential differential learning processes that reduce distraction by dynamic discontinuities (visual onsets) and by static discontinuities (color singletons).
In general, the various effects are reminiscent of habituation mechanisms, but a complex picture seems to emerge, where multiple learning mechanisms with slower and faster dynamics, affecting attentional capture and post-capture re-orienting separately, might be at play.