The study by Nakayama and Mackeben explores the sustained and transient components of focal visual attention. Human observers were asked to detect an odd target in a search array of black and white bars, either based on orientation (simple condition) or orientation and color (conjunctive condition). A cue was either continuously visible (sustained cuing) or appeared briefly before the array (transient cuing). Sustained cuing significantly improved performance in the conjunctive condition but not in the simple condition. Transient cuing further enhanced performance, with peak performance occurring when the cue preceded the array by 70–150 msec. Longer delays reduced performance. Control experiments showed that transient attention was independent of prior knowledge of target location and was not voluntarily controlled. The transient component was not linked to early visual processing stages, as it could not be extended by flickering the cue or triggered by a local sensory transient. The results suggest the existence of two distinct attentional components: sustained and transient. The transient component is thought to operate at an earlier stage of visual cortical processing. The study also shows that transient attention is not limited to specific paradigms, as it was observed in a vernier acuity task. The transient component is not influenced by expectancy or voluntary control, and it is not directly related to early visual processing. Neurophysiological findings suggest that the transient component may be linked to lower-order cortical processing. The study provides evidence that attention can be directed to a blank region without a cue, and that transient attention is not dependent on a visual search paradigm. The results indicate that attention has two distinct components, with the transient component being more primitive and closely tied to early visual processing.The study by Nakayama and Mackeben explores the sustained and transient components of focal visual attention. Human observers were asked to detect an odd target in a search array of black and white bars, either based on orientation (simple condition) or orientation and color (conjunctive condition). A cue was either continuously visible (sustained cuing) or appeared briefly before the array (transient cuing). Sustained cuing significantly improved performance in the conjunctive condition but not in the simple condition. Transient cuing further enhanced performance, with peak performance occurring when the cue preceded the array by 70–150 msec. Longer delays reduced performance. Control experiments showed that transient attention was independent of prior knowledge of target location and was not voluntarily controlled. The transient component was not linked to early visual processing stages, as it could not be extended by flickering the cue or triggered by a local sensory transient. The results suggest the existence of two distinct attentional components: sustained and transient. The transient component is thought to operate at an earlier stage of visual cortical processing. The study also shows that transient attention is not limited to specific paradigms, as it was observed in a vernier acuity task. The transient component is not influenced by expectancy or voluntary control, and it is not directly related to early visual processing. Neurophysiological findings suggest that the transient component may be linked to lower-order cortical processing. The study provides evidence that attention can be directed to a blank region without a cue, and that transient attention is not dependent on a visual search paradigm. The results indicate that attention has two distinct components, with the transient component being more primitive and closely tied to early visual processing.