Feature-Based Attention and Feature-Based Expectation

Abstract

Foreknowledge of target stimulus features improves visual search performance as a result of 'feature-based attention' (FBA). Recent studies have reported that 'feature-based expectation' (FBE) also heightens decision sensitivity. Superficially, it appears that the latter work has simply rediscovered (and relabeled) the effects of FBA. However, this is not the case. Here we explain why.