Abstract
In an inefficient visual search, when some distractors (old items) temporally precede some others (new items), the old items are excluded from the search. This search benefit is called as preview benefit and has been explained by top-down, intentional inhibition to old items (visual marking). This article described the properties of visual marking in relation to other mechanisms of visual selection (e.g., attentional capture and inhibition of return) and discussed how visual system optimizes the selection to task-relevant object. First, I discussed the mechanisms of the preview benefit, such as visual marking, onset capture, and temporal grouping. Second, I presented how evidences for the inhibitory aspect have been presented by showing studies using probe-detection technic and negative carryover effect. Lastly, I concluded 1) whether top-down, intentional inhibition occurs in preview search and 2) whether such inhibitory marking is contributed to preview benefit in addition to attentional capture.
