The two basic phenomena that define the problem of visual attention can be illustrated in a
simple example. Consider the arrays shown in each panel of Figure 1. In a typical
experiment, before the arrays were presented, subjects would be asked to report letters
appearing in one color (targets, here black letters), and to disregard letters in the other color
(nontargets, here white letters). The array would then be briefly flashed, and the subjects,
without any opportunity for eye movements, would give their report. The display mimics our�…

Selective visual attention describes the tendency of visual processing to be confined largely
to stimuli that are relevant to behavior. It is among the most fundamental of cognitive
functions, particularly in humans and other primates for whom vision is the dominant sense.
We review recent progress in identifying the neural mechanisms of selective visual attention.
We discuss evidence from studies of different varieties of selective attention and examine
how these varieties alter the processing of stimuli by neurons within the visual system�…