Feature-based attention in serial dependence generalizes over different types of a task-relevant context feature

Abstract

Serial dependence is a phenomenon which biases current perception towards or away from previous visual input. While this effect has been well-documented, the effect context features of stimuli have on serial dependence is not yet fully known. In the current experiment we investigate the role that task-relevant context features have in serial dependence using an orientation judgment task. We hypothesized that stimuli with the same color would have a stronger positive serial dependence bias between them than stimuli with different colors, indicating a memory trace left behind by the context feature, supporting serial dependence. We found that not to be the case. Serial dependence was unaffected by whether the context feature of color was the same or different between the previous and the current stimulus, and the color of a stimulus did not matter for its serial dependence effects on future stimuli.