注意力指向包含認知與情緒的面向,分別藉由「選擇」和「喜好」所展現。第一系列的研究顯示,注意力指向的選擇機制同時受到刺激特性與目標設定的影響,當探討刺激能否攫取注意力時,必需區分「刺激導引的成分」以及「受目標設定影響」兩者所造成的效果。某些與作業無關的刺激特性,例如顯著性和動態性,確實能夠攫取注意力,但是其攫取效果會受到目標設定的調節;當與目標設定不一致時,其攫取效果會受到抑制而無法展現。本系列研究提出「交互作用模型」顯示:在刺激剛出現時,吾人的注意力主要受到刺激特性的影響而被導引,爾後則由個體目標設定來主導,進而調節由刺激引發的指向選擇。第二系列的研究探討兩種不同喜好(偏好熟悉人臉或新奇風景圖片)的內在機制,以及注意力指向在其中所扮演的角色。雖然兩種不同喜好的內在機制不同,但是注意力指向均扮演重要角色;指向與喜好的選擇相互增強,顯示指向選擇的認知功能與情緒的喜好判斷密不可分。
Orienting has both cognitive and emotional aspects which can be revealed by selection and preference, respectively. In the first part of this study, we investigate of how the selection occurs and propose an interactive model in which both stimulus-driven properties and top-down controls interact with each other to determinate the final selection. Certain kinds of stimulus properties such as salience or transient changes can elicit stimulus-driven activation to capture attention. However, the activation can be modulated by top-down controls. The interactive model differentiates the two components of orienting, involuntary and voluntary, and further helps to solve the discrepancy in the literature of attentional capture. In the second part of this study, we investigate two principles of memory in preference, preference for familiar faces and novel natural scenes, and how orienting plays a role in-between. Although different mechanisms of the two kinds of preferences are suggested by series of studies, orienting indeed contributes to preference. A positive feedback loop between selection and preference is suggested which implies a close linkage between cognition and emotion by orienting.