Goal relevance overrides the attentional effects of intrinsic relevance

Recent research on emotional attention supports the goal-directed hypothesis, which suggests that attentional capture is influenced by the impact of stimuli on goal attainment (e.g., goal-conducive or evitable goal-obstructive stimuli). However, this hypothesis overlooks the role of intrinsic relevance, i.e., the general pleasantness or unpleasantness nature of stimuli. The Component Process Model (CPM) predicts combined effects of intrinsic and goal relevances on attention. This was supported by results evidencing attentional capture by stimuli that are goal-conducive and pleasant or unpleasant. However, the CPM does not address attentional capture by intrinsically relevant stimuli that inevitably obstruct goals. Such goal-obstructive stimuli could cancel or unalter the attentional capture by intrinsic stimuli. The present study aimed to extend CPM predictions. Specifically, attentional capture for intrinsically relevant versus neutral stimuli was compared based on whether they were goal-independent, goal-conducive, or inevitably goal-obstructive. To this end, participants performed an induction task endowing goal relevance to stimuli, in parallel with a dot-probe task. The results showed that when stimuli were goal-independent, attention was captured by intrinsically relevant stimuli compared to neutral stimuli. However, once stimuli were goal-dependent, attentional capture was solely guided by the goal relevance associated with stimuli. Indeed, only stimuli associated with goal conduction captured attention. These findings are discussed considering the current influential definitions of emotional attention.