In an emotional interference study, participants searched for a neutral target shape among distractors. On some trials, an irrelevant fearful face appeared briefly near the target. Attentional capture occurs when a stimulus draws attention away from the goal. Which outcome would most likely be observed if fearful faces capture attention?
- Search reaction times increase only if participants are instructed to memorize the face for a later test
- Search reaction times decrease on trials with the fearful face because fear suppresses all visual processing
- Search reaction times do not change because emotional stimuli influence only later memory, not online attention
- Search reaction times increase on trials with the fearful face because attention is momentarily diverted to the emotional distractor (correct answer)
Explanation: This question tests understanding of attentional capture by emotional stimuli. Attentional capture diverts resources to salient items, slowing goal-directed tasks. In this search, a fearful face is emotionally salient and irrelevant. The correct answer (D) follows because capture by the face delays target search, per emotional prioritization models. A distractor like (B) fails due to the misconception that fear suppresses processing, when it actually attracts attention. In related scenarios, include emotional distractors; they predict RT increases. Differentiate valence—negative emotions often capture more than positive.