Inhibition of Return Decays Rapidly when Familiar Objects are Used

Visual search is supported by various components. Inhibition of return (IOR) is a mechanism by which orienting to a previously attended location or object is inhibited. In two experiments, we examined whether categories of real-life objects modify IOR. In Experiment 1, familiar objects (faces, hands, feet, chairs, and flowers) and a nonsense control object (a square) were presented as cues and participants were asked to detect a target presented either in a cued or uncued position. Body parts were examined since they have often been shown to influence visual selective attention. Results showed substantial IOR irrespective of cue object category. However, IOR decreased very rapidly, even in trials with a control cue. This atypical time course was not observed when only the control cue was used (Experiment 2). We concluded that the presence of various familiar objects in Experiment 1 acted as a context and modified observers' attentional sets. The results suggest that IOR in real-life scenes with familiar objects is different from IOR observed in typical experimental settings.