Continuous action with a neurobiologically inspired computational approach reveals the dynamics of selection history

Everyday perception-action interaction often requires selection of a single goal from multiple possibilities. According to a recent framework of attentional control, object selection is guided not only by the well-established factors of perceptual salience and current goals but also by selection history. Yet, underlying mechanisms linking selection history and visually-guided actions are poorly understood. To examine such interplay and disentangle the impact of target and distractor history on action selection, we employed a priming-of-popout (PoP) paradigm combined with continuous tracking of reaching movements and computational modeling. Participants reached an odd-colored target among homogeneous distractors while we systematically manipulated the sequence of target and distractor colors from one trial to the next. We observed that current reach movements were significantly influenced by the interaction between attraction by the prior target feature and repulsion by the prior distractor feature. With principal component regression, we found that inhibition led by prior distractors influenced reach target selection earlier than facilitation led by the prior target. In parallel, our newly developed computational model validated that current reach target selection can be explained best by the mechanism postulating the preceded impact of previous distractors followed by a previous target. Such converging empirical and computational evidence suggests that the prior selection history triggers a dynamic interplay between target facilitation and distractor inhibition to guide goal-directed action successfully. This, in turn, highlights the necessity of an explicitly integrated approach to determine how visual attentional selection links with adaptive actions in a complex environment. Author summaryMost real-world visual scenes are complex and crowded, where multiple objects compete for attention and goal-directed action. The interactions between mechanisms of attentional selection and action selection are at the root of many complex behaviors. However, their link has been understudied. To examine this interplay and disentangle the impact of target and distractor history on action selection, we employed a priming-of-popout (PoP) paradigm combined with continuous tracking of reaching movements and computational modeling. This integrated approach constitutes a significant departure from existing practice, where attention and action selection mechanisms are typically investigated separately. Our converging evidence supports the notion that prior selection history triggers a dynamic interplay between target facilitation and distractor inhibition to guide goal-directed action successfully. This finding highlights the necessity of an explicitly integrated approach to determine how visual attentional selection links with adaptive actions in complex environments. Taken together, our study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying attentional selection and action selection, and has important implications for future research in this field.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the dynamic interplay between prior selection history, target facilitation, and distractor inhibition in guiding goal-directed actions. The findings emphasize the necessity of integrating visual attentional selection with adaptive actions in complex environments.