Figure 1.

Motivational cues bias spatial attention. (a) Sequence of events in the two attention tasks. After monkeys achieved central fixation, two cues appeared at either side of the fixation point for 300 (task A) or 350 ms (task B). In task A (top), the cues were followed by a delay where no peripheral stimuli were present. The brief appearance of a near-threshold oriented patch (50 ms) at one of the two locations served as the target and the monkey correctly detected it by saccading to its location. In task B (bottom), two randomly oriented patches appeared on either side of the fixation point 250 ms after the cues were extinguished. At a random time, both patches changed orientation simultaneously (in independent directions). A pair of choice targets was subsequently presented at one location, indicating which oriented patch was the target, and the monkey judged whether the target at the indicated location was more vertical or horizontal. (b) Performance on high value present trials for targets appearing near the high value cue (black bar) and targets appearing near the low value cue (grey bar) and on high value absent trials (white bar). Performance was calculated as: 100 × [# of correct trials / # of trials where target appeared]. (c) Reaction times in the same format as (b). (b,c) Asterisks indicate significant differences between conditions (Paired Wilcoxon, P < 10⁻¹⁵) and error bars indicate the standard error across sessions (n = 126).