Automaticity

An Automatic Process Does Not Require Attention

Of all the criteria associated with automaticity, the idea that an automatic process does not require attention has probably attracted the most interest. This particular criterion has evolved to contain within it what might be considered sub-criteria associated with different forms of attention. For example, an automatic process should not require spatial attention, central attention, or any other form of attention (e.g., temporal attention).

The assessment of the attention criterion typically involves a manipulation designed to withhold a specific form of attention from contributing to the process of interest. If a given process is automatic, then it should be unaffected by a manipulation that prohibits attention from contributing to it. For example, research on spatial attention and automaticity has typically used manipulations that direct spatial attention toward or away from a stimulus. If the processing of that stimulus does not require spatial attention, then directing spatial attention away from it should not affect its processing. To illustrate, to test the claim that reading does not require spatial attention, spatial attention can be drawn away from a prime word (i.e., a word presented before a target word that is intended to prime target processing), and the impact of that prime word on the subsequent processing of a target word can be assessed. If word processing does not require spatial attention (i.e., is automatic), then the prime word should still influence processing of, and responses to, the target word when spatial attention is drawn away from it. Conversely, if word processing requires spatial attention (i.e., is not automatic), then drawing attention away from the prime word should eliminate its influence on target word processing. Research on other forms of attention (e.g., central attention) has used a similar logic but with different manipulations of attention.

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