Tracing the Dynamics of Value-Based Attention: from Generalization to Disengagement

In complex environments, the ability to selectively orient attention is crucial for adaptive behavior. A growing body of research has shown that stimuli previously associated with reward can capture attention even when they are no longer relevant or physically salient—a phenomenon known as Value-Modulated Attentional Capture (VMAC). While such value-driven biases are typically adaptive, facilitating the prioritization of motivationally relevant information, they may become maladaptive when they persist beyond the context in which they were learned. Despite extensive research on VMAC, two key aspects remain poorly understood. First, it is unclear whether and under which conditions value-driven attentional biases generalize to novel stimuli and contexts. Second, although most studies have focused on attentional capture, less is known about whether value also affects attentional disengagement, that is, the ability to shift attention away from previously rewarded stimuli. Presenting a series of studies, this thesis aims to clarify both the generalization of value-driven attentional biases and the role of attentional disengagement in VMAC. Specifically, the empirical work includes a systematic review, a validation study of novel visual stimuli, and five experimental investigations employing paradigms such as visual search and spatial cueing tasks. Together, these studies are designed to identify the conditions under which value-driven biases extend beyond learned associations, to determine whether value impairs the efficient reallocation of attention, and to examine how these processes relate to broader attentional systems. Overall, this work advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying value-driven attention and their relevance for behavior in real-world contexts.