The electrophysiology of IOR in overt visual search

If we focus our attention on a specific object in the environment, this helps us to perceive this object better. However, if we focus our attention on it again after a short pause, it becomes more difficult to focus attention. This phenomenon is called inhibition of return (IOR), and it is not unique to humans. This IOR mechanism is helpful when we are searching for something. It ensures that we do not return to old places or objects where we have already searched unsuccessfully. Instead, we turn to new places in the neighbourhood where there is a greater chance of finding what we are looking for. IOR is a well-researched phenomenon. It has been described in detail with the help of eye movement recording, for example. Electroencephalography (EEG) has also been used to better understand the role of the brain in IOR. However, these methods have so far always been used separately and have therefore not been able to provide a uniform picture of IOR. The aim of the research project is to use both methods together in order to gain a better understanding of IOR. The joint use of eye movement recording and EEG is a relatively new method that is associated with major challenges. However, it has the potential to provide new insights. For example, it is possible to investigate what happens in the brain when we scan our surroundings with our eyes. More precisely, the EEG can show which processes are involved in the brain at the exact moment when we look at an object for the first time or when we look at it again, i.e. when IOR occurs. In this FWF project, we are carrying out a series of investigations to answer the following questions, for example: (i) Under what conditions, i.e. during what type of task, does IOR occur at all? Does it only occur when we search for something, or in general when we look at our environment? (ii) How flexible is IOR? Can it be switched on and off in a short period of time if the task requires it? (iii) What is the time course of IOR? How long does it last, for example? And of course: How are all these situations represented in the brain? This is a basic research project. It is dedicated to the fundamental question of how human attention works and which processes in the brain play a role in this. Attention is the basis for practically all higher mental functions. It is essential for the generation of memories, or it helps us to concentrate on certain things and avoid distraction. In this project, we are therefore ultimately investigating how people operate successfully in their environment.