Purpose: Many experiments have examined the visual representation available prior to the deployment of attention to an object (preattentive vision). Most vision research concerns the visual representation of a currently attended object (attentive vision). The present study examines the visual representation of an object after attention has been withdrawn (post-attentive vision).

Method: Ss searched repeatedly through the same visual display (see fig). 3 or 5 items were presented on a virtual circle. A probe item appeared at the center. Ss reported if the probe item was or wasn't in the search display. Letters, conjunctions, and objects were tested.

In the first search in the fig., all letters must be read to confirm that "A" is not part of the set {CPH}. Does attention to C on search 1 convey an advantage when C is the probe letter on search 2? Repeated visual search can be compared to memory search with the same search set stored in memory rather than present on the screen.

Results: Search through a previously attended display was indistinguishable from search N even after 400 searches through a single set of 3 letters. Memory searches were faster than visual searches through the same stimuli, perhaps due to lateral masking. All tested stimuli produced the same pattern of results.

Conclusions: Ss do learn the contents of the displays (accurate on memory trials). However, knowing what is in a scene is not the same as seeing it. The post-attentive visual representation seems to be identical to the preattentive representation. Attention may bind an object's features together but only while it is deployed to that object. When attention is withdrawn, the visual representation reverts to its preattentive state.