John Jonides and Steven Yantis (1984) found that a target in visual search was more easily detected when it appeared abruptly, compared to when it was presented among other items that did not have abrupt onsets. This effect was attributed to attention being shifted by the abrupt onset. In this study, they investigated whether abrupt onset was just one of many stimulus characteristics that could capture attention. They compared abrupt onset with differences in stimulus luminance and hue to see if these could also elicit attention shifts. They found that abrupt onset was unique in this regard. In visual search tasks, stimuli with abrupt onsets clearly capture attentional resources. The study used multiple-item displays with one item having an abrupt onset (the onset item) embedded among other items that did not have abrupt onsets. When the onset item was the target, reaction times varied by less than 8 msec per item. However, when the target was a no-onset item and one of the distractors had an abrupt onset, reaction times increased by more than 24 msec per item. The model proposed was based on the idea that abrupt onset captures visual attention. According to this model, if there is a single onset item in a display, attention shifts to it first, and stimulus analysis proceeds for this item. If it is the target, processing ceases and a positive detection response is initiated. If it is not the target, processing continues for the other items until a target is identified or the display is analyzed. The study compared three stimulus sets: one with an onset item embedded in no-onset items, one with a bright item among dim items, and one with a red item among green ones. The results showed that abrupt onset captured attention, while differences in luminance and hue did not. The study found that the capture model explained the onset data well, but not the intensity and color data. The SST model explained the intensity and color data better. The results suggested that abrupt onset is unique in capturing attention, while differences in luminance and hue are not. The study concluded that the nature of the uniqueness is critical for attentional capture. Items with abrupt onsets can attract attention, while color or intensity differences cannot. The study also found that when a unique item was not necessarily the target, active filtering was not a useful strategy. However, when the unique item was the target, subjects were able to focus on it immediately. This suggests that the uniqueness of a stimulus item is not sufficient for attentional capture, but the nature of the uniqueness is critical. The study concluded that abrupt onset is unique in capturing attention, while differences in color or intensity are not.John Jonides and Steven Yantis (1984) found that a target in visual search was more easily detected when it appeared abruptly, compared to when it was presented among other items that did not have abrupt onsets. This effect was attributed to attention being shifted by the abrupt onset. In this study, they investigated whether abrupt onset was just one of many stimulus characteristics that could capture attention. They compared abrupt onset with differences in stimulus luminance and hue to see if these could also elicit attention shifts. They found that abrupt onset was unique in this regard. In visual search tasks, stimuli with abrupt onsets clearly capture attentional resources. The study used multiple-item displays with one item having an abrupt onset (the onset item) embedded among other items that did not have abrupt onsets. When the onset item was the target, reaction times varied by less than 8 msec per item. However, when the target was a no-onset item and one of the distractors had an abrupt onset, reaction times increased by more than 24 msec per item. The model proposed was based on the idea that abrupt onset captures visual attention. According to this model, if there is a single onset item in a display, attention shifts to it first, and stimulus analysis proceeds for this item. If it is the target, processing ceases and a positive detection response is initiated. If it is not the target, processing continues for the other items until a target is identified or the display is analyzed. The study compared three stimulus sets: one with an onset item embedded in no-onset items, one with a bright item among dim items, and one with a red item among green ones. The results showed that abrupt onset captured attention, while differences in luminance and hue did not. The study found that the capture model explained the onset data well, but not the intensity and color data. The SST model explained the intensity and color data better. The results suggested that abrupt onset is unique in capturing attention, while differences in luminance and hue are not. The study concluded that the nature of the uniqueness is critical for attentional capture. Items with abrupt onsets can attract attention, while color or intensity differences cannot. The study also found that when a unique item was not necessarily the target, active filtering was not a useful strategy. However, when the unique item was the target, subjects were able to focus on it immediately. This suggests that the uniqueness of a stimulus item is not sufficient for attentional capture, but the nature of the uniqueness is critical. The study concluded that abrupt onset is unique in capturing attention, while differences in color or intensity are not.