Face and eyes:

Critical analysis of the cue-target spatial-conflict account for gaze cueing effect

Abstract

Gaze cueing effects (faster responses for cued compared to uncued targets) has been attributed to an automatic shift of attention. However, gaze cueing effects can be explained by spatial conflicts between the gaze direction and the target location. In the present study, we used the gaze cueing paradigm to compare the validity of the two accounts (i.e., reflexive attentional shifts versus spatial conflicts). The cueing effects were largest at 100-ms SOA, irrespective of temporal overlap of the gaze cue and the target, the prerequisite for spatial conflicts (Experiment 1). Eye-region cues, which were used in the study supporting the spatial conflict account, reversed the gaze cueing effects when the cues were counterpredictive while typical face cues did not (Experiment 2). These results do not support the spatial conflict account and suggest the importance of the “faceness” of the cue stimuli.