Procedure

Step 1: Focusing on the Fixation Point

• You will start by focusing on a central fixation point located in the middle of the screen. This helps direct your attention to the center before the cue and target appear.

Step 2: Watching for the Cue

• Once you click the start button, a brief visual cue (e.g., the border of a box) will appear on either the left or right side of the screen. This cue helps guide your attention to one of the possible target locations.

Step 3: Observing the Target

• After the cue disappears, you will see a target stimulus (e.g., a star) appear on the screen. It will be presented either:
  • At the cued location (valid cue), or
  • At the opposite location (invalid cue).

Step 4: Responding to the Target

• You need to respond as quickly as possible by pressing a button that matches the location of the target:
  • Press the left button if the target appears on the left.
  • Press the right button if the target appears on the right.

Important Considerations

Understanding Cue Validity

• The proportion of trials where the cue correctly predicts the target location (valid cue) is designed to test how well your attention shifts. Typically, you will respond faster when the target appears at the cued location.

Exploring Trial Types

• The experiment includes a mix of trials to understand attention shifts more deeply:
  • Valid trials: The cue correctly predicts the target's location.
  • Invalid trials: The cue incorrectly predicts the target's location.
  • Neutral trials: No cue is provided, serving as a baseline for comparison.

Measuring Your Response Time

• Your reaction time (RT) is the main measure in this task. Faster responses are expected when the cue is accurate (valid cue), while slower responses are expected for incorrect cues (invalid cue).