Attention Dynamics in Spatial-Temporal Contexts

This study systematically explored the impact of the spatial metaphor of time on attentional bias using visual order stimuli, ranging from fully order to 50% disorder, highlighting the regulatory roles of short-term memory and Gestalt perceptual grouping. Three experiments were conducted. Exper-iment 1, comprising Experiments 1a and 1b, investigated how the spatial metaphor of time shaped attentional bias across five disorder levels. Experiment 1a examined horizontal orientations, while Experiment 1b focused on vertical orientations. Experiment 2 compared attentional biases toward stimuli with the same disorder level in both orientations. The key distinction between the stimuli was that one represented short-term memory, while the other did not involve memory. Experiment 3 extended Experiment 2. It compared attentional biases between fully ordered structures (intact Gestalt structures) as non-memory representations and partially disordered structures in short-term memory. The results revealed a significant preference for future-related information, particularly on the right in horizontal orientations. Short-term memory representations enhanced attentional at-traction and triggered Inhibition of Return (IOR), while fully ordered structures attracted attention as effectively as partially disordered structures, thereby neutralizing attentional biases. Overall, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the cognitive mechanisms underlying visual atten-tion and the influence of temporal metaphors.