Abstract: Historically, it was generally believed that visual selective attention could operate on the space, which emphasized the spatial properties of attention. However, a seminal double-rectangle cuing paradigm (Egly et al., 1994) demonstrated that attention could also operate on objects. This paradigm has been widely used in the study of object-based attention. However, these studies mainly focused on how visible objects directed attention. Few studies focused on whether invisible objects could guide attention. In addition, previous studies have shown that visual attention could operate within a region of space or select a visual feature in the absent of awareness, which suggested that attention and awareness are distinct phenomena. However, the relationship between attention and awareness remains controversial currently, wherefore we hope to provide new evidence for the relationship between attention and awareness by examining the object-based attention effect without awareness. The present study explored the object-based attention without awareness by using a modified double-rectangle cuing paradigm. In experiment one, we made some improvements on the basis of Zhang’s (2012) study and explored whether the invisible intact rectangular object could affect the deployment of attention. In this experiment, each trial began with a fixation cross. After a delay of 500 ms, the cue was flashed for 100 ms at one of four locations where the target may appear, and then an 80-ms interstimulus interval. Following an interstimulus interval, invisible objects were presented for 16 ms. After that, an 80-ms interstimulus interval was followed by the target (red or green circle) presented for 150 ms. Participants were asked to judge the color of the target. After judging, participants needed to answer two questions. It was found that the invisible intact rectangular object could guide the deployment of attention. To our knowledge, there were no studies to explore whether the invisible perceptual object could guide attention. Therefore, in experiment two, we examined whether the invisible perceptual rectangular object could affect the deployment of attention as an invisible intact rectangular object did. The experimental procedure was similar to experiment one except that invisible perceptual rectangular objects was presented for 32 ms. It was found that the invisible perceptual rectangular object could also direct the deployment of attention. Before the formal experiment, stimulus contrast was calibrated for each participant in order to maintain the level of awareness near the threshold. During the first calibration phase, the block began with 0.047 Michelson contrast. If the mean percentage of accuracy was higher than 55%, the lower contrast level was used during the next block. Conversely, if the mean percentage of accuracy was lower than 45%, the higher contrast level was used during the next block. After the appropriate contrast level was found, the calibration block was repeated with the same Michelson contrast in order to ensure that performance keep stable. The results of the present study suggested that the object-based attention effect persisted in the absent of awareness, regardless of whether the boundary contour was intact. What’s more, these results provide new evidence for the relationship between visual attention and visual awareness.

Key words: object-based attention, awareness, object representation

摘要： 采用双矩形范式变式考察在对客体无觉知的条件下的客体注意效应，共包括两个实验：实验一考察对完整矩形客体无觉知的条件下能否出现客体注意效应，发现在完整矩形客体不可见的情况下依然出现了客体注意效应。实验二考察对虚拟矩形客体无觉知的情况下是否能够出现客体注意效应，发现在虚拟矩形客体不可见的情况下也能够出现客体注意效应。研究结果表明客体注意效应在无觉知条件下依然存在，为注意与觉知在功能上相互分离的观点提供了新的证据。

关键词: 客体注意效应, 觉知, 客体表征