Abstract
The time required for Ss to voice a target letter in a visual display was studied as a function of the spatial proximity of two kinds of noise elements (letters or disks) to the target and as a function of when the noise elements were presented following the onset of the target letter. The results were not consistent with a focusing model of attention or selective encoding. Instead, there appears to be a small area in the visual field (about 1 deg of angle) in which all stimuli are processed in detail.
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Eriksen, C.W., Hoffman, J.E. Temporal and spatial characteristics of selective encoding from visual displays. Perception & Psychophysics 12, 201–204 (1972). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03212870
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03212870