Distractor-response binding influences visual search

Intertrial priming effects in visual search and action control suggest the involvement of binding and retrieval processes. However, the role of distractor-response binding (DRB) in visual search has been largely overlooked, and the specific processing stage within the functional architecture of attentional guidance where the DRB occurs remains unclear. To address these gaps, we implemented two search tasks, where participants responded based on a separate feature from the one defining the target. We kept the target dimension consistent across trials while varying the color and shape of the distractor. Moreover, we either repeated or randomized the target position in different sessions. Our results revealed a pronounced response priming, a difference between trials where the response changed vs. repeated: they were stronger when distractor features or the target position were repeated than they varied. Furthermore, the distractor feature priming, a difference between the distractor features repetition and switch, was contingent on the target position, suggesting that DRB likely operates at late stages of target identification and response selection. These insights affirm the presence of DRB during visual search and support the framework of binding and retrieval in action control as a basis for observed intertrial priming effects related to distractor features.