# Dynamic modulation of spatial selection: Online and anticipatory adjustments in the flanker task

## TL;DR

This study explores how selective attention changes over time during a cognitive task, showing that spatial selection is dynamically influenced by various factors.

## Contribution

The study introduces four theory-driven variants of the flanker task to investigate dynamic modulation of spatial selection.

## Key findings

- Spatial selection in the flanker task is dynamically modulated by intra- and supra-trial factors.
- Adjustments in flanker strength and target strength affect flanker congruency effects over time.
- Uncertainty about stimulus location impairs spatial selection performance.

## Abstract

To track the spatiotemporal dynamics of selective attention, we constructed four theory-driven variants of Eriksen’s flanker task. In each, subjects made speeded binary categorizations of target arrowhead direction while ignoring surrounding flanker arrowheads, whose direction was either congruent or incongruent to the target. Experiment 1 tracked the temporal evolution of target selection by systematically manipulating onset asynchrony between the target and flankers. In Experiments 2A and 2B, we increased flanker strength (both experiments) and reduced target strength (Experiment 2B only) at various times relative to target onset, exploring the effects of dynamic perceptual inputs on flanker congruency effects. Experiment 3 measured how uncertainty about stimulus location impeded spatial selection. Our findings demonstrate that spatial selection in the flanker task is dynamically modulated by both intra- and supra-trial factors.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.3758/s13414-025-03026-5.